There are two ways to buy hardwood flooring — unfinished and prefinished. When an unfinished floor is installed, you must then complete the floor project with proper finishing on site. On the other hand, prefinished floors are already finished before they are installed.
Unfinished floors are also called site-finished floors. This type of flooring is delivered to you in raw form, and these wood planks are bare. Final sanding on site is still necessary prior to stain application. Once the stain is applied then your contractor will likely apply a polyurethane finish over the top.
At first glance, unfinished hardwood flooring may require more work, and it raises the question of why anyone would want to buy unfinished hardwood. You will be surprised to know that there are many benefits of installing unfinished hardwood flooring.
The Advantages of Unfinished Hardwood Flooring
Here are some of the benefits of installing an unfinished hardwood floor.
You Can Customize The Color
There are select options when it comes to prefinished floors. It is common for them to be stained and sealed for sale. Therefore, if you want flooring out of the ordinary, unfinished hardwood is a much better option.
Moreover, if you purchase unfinished hardwood, you can mix and match flooring styles. The mixing and matching of different stains and finishes have become a popular way to make floors look rustic and cabin-grade. You can achieve an antique patina effect by mixing gray stained planks with grey planks, for example. This type of effect is not possible with a prefinished floor.
Less Complex And Simpler
Using unfinished floors makes it easy to match layers because you are working with raw materials. With factory-finished flooring, there are not as many customizable elements.
You Can Match Stains
You can create your custom finish for unfinished hardwood floors based on your taste and interior design plan. An unfinished floor also allows you to try out how a stain may look in your house. Prefinished wood may appear differently than it does in your living room.
Budget-friendly
It is easier to produce unfinished hardwood flooring since it does not have any finishing touch. Therefore, it is more affordable to the consumer. The cost of higher-grade unfinished flooring is comparable to that of essential prefinished flooring.
Provide You With a Broader Selection
There are many wood types, grains, and plank sizes to choose from in unfinished hardwood flooring. In contrast, finished hardwood flooring offers fewer types of wood and style.
In some cases, you can even find rare wood types that aren’t available prefinished. That can significantly expand your flooring options since you won’t be constrained by wood types, colors, or sizes.
Improved Appearance
Since you apply the finish to the entire floor once it has been installed, unfinished flooring provides a smoother finish after applying your coating. Cracks or seams between planks may be more visible on prefinished flooring.
When you use unfinished hardwood flooring, you can fill the cracks and seams, which means a beautiful floor that is flawless and uniform with a seamless surface.
Contact Oak and Broad for Unfinished Wood Options
If you’re planning to replace your flooring with hardwood, you should consider unfinished hardwood flooring advantages such as those at Oak and Broad. We will work with you to find the best unfinished flooring options for your office, home, or commercial building. Contact us today.