Prefinished vs. Unfinished Wood Flooring

Understanding the differences between prefinished and unfinished hardwood flooring

The best place to start would be to define what it means for a hardwood flooring product to be prefinished or unfinished.

Hardwood can be purchased with the stain and finish already applied to the boards. This is what is referred to as pre-finished flooring. The raw material is purchased by the hardwood flooring manufacturer and is dried, cut, fabricated, stained, finished, packaged in a carton, shipped to its destination (flooring dealer) and ready for installation.

Prefinished hardwood flooring is available in a wide variety of sizes, species, colors and finishes. Prefinished boards have bevels applied to the sides and ends of the boards which are necessary for several reasons. Since this floor will not be sanded, the bevels help to diffuse any height inconsistencies that could exist from one board to the next due to an uneven subfloor. The bevels also prevent the finish from building up along the sides of the boards during the manufacturing process. The most significant advantage to the prefinished floor is the installation process. It is much quicker to install which means less downtime in the home and the process is less disruptive to the home; very little dust, furniture can be moved from room to room, and immediate access to the rooms once installed.

Unfinished hardwood flooring goes through a similar process of manufacturing except the boards do not go through a final sanding or the finish process. The wood has been sanded at the factory but will need additional sanding once the floor is installed. The wood is typically bundled with metal bands and delivered unboxed to the flooring dealer. From there the flooring is delivered to the jobsite to go through the acclimation process just like the prefinished floor.

Unfinished hardwood flooring is also available in a wide variety of sizes, species, colors and finishes. There are typically more options with unfinished hardwood when it comes to the width of the boards. There are certainly more color options when it comes to an installer applying the stain at the job site. This also allows for custom staining and allows for matching an existing wood floor or woodwork if that is a requirement of the project. There are no bevels on an unfinished floor (although boards can be custom beveled if that is desired). The big difference between these two types of floors is in the installation process. The floor is installed and then sanded flat and smooth. The floor is then vacuumed and prepared for staining and/or finish. The staining and finishing process may take several days to complete (depending on the size of the project) with periods of time in between where the floor cannot be walked on for several hours or an entire day. This can be a significant issue of contention for the busy homeowner who just can’t afford a week of downtime in their home. This single point alone drives many consumers to purchase prefinished flooring. Even with “dustless” sanding systems, you can still expect a major clean-up after your floors are complete.

QUICK REFERENCE CHART FOR PREFINISHED AND UNFINISHED FLOORS

Prefinished hardwood floors – Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

Quick installation - No down time to walk on floors.

No fumes in home from applied finishes on the job site.

Ease of install - Furniture can be moved from room to room during installation and put back immediately upon completion of install.

Harder finish - 7-10 coats of factory applied UV finish with Aluminum Oxide

Consistency - in color and finish

Easy repair - a damaged board can be removed and replaced without affecting the rest of the floor finish.

D.I.Y.friendly - Easier to install for the do-it-yourselfer. No sanding and staining required.

Bevels - Bevels hide seasonal gapping better than a square edge on an unfinished floor.

Factory finish - Finish is applied in a factory controlled environment. Very smooth finish with little imperfections.

Warranties - Most floors come with a minimum 15 year wear warranty. Unfinished floors typically have a one-year warranty.

Floating floors - Only prefinished floors can be feely floated over any substrate.

Engineered floors – The wideast variety of options are available in prefinished floors when needed in below grade

Disadvantages

Bevels - Micro bevels produce linear lines in the floor that may be undesirable to some.

Changing stain color - This would require deep sanding that would remove the bevels in the floor.

Refinishing - It is more expensive and more difficult to refinish a floor with Aluminum Oxide.

Unable to sand flat - Any inconsistencies in the subloor will telegraph through a prefinished floor. Good floor prep is vital.

Imports - China imports a large quantity of prefinished wood into the USA. The quality of the hardwood and the manufacturing can be questionable.

Width's and finishes - Typically, prefinished floors offer less width and finish options.

Cost - Although install cost is less, the material will typically cost more. Overall, the cost will be more than an unfinished floor.

Unsealed joints - Joints where the boards meet are not sealed & can allow dirt to settle in and make it more difficult to clean.

Future replacemet - Replacing prefinished boards years later after the floor is installed can prove to be difficult if you don't have any boards leftover. Could be discontinued. Unfinished would be an easier find.

Width's and finishes - Typically, prefinished floors offer less width and finish options.

Cost - Although install cost is less, the material will typically cost more. Overall, the cost will be more than an unfinished floor (Can be a large price disparity with prefinished floors. Source of material and quality of manufacturing play a large role in the final price of a prefinished floor)

Unsealed joints - Joints where the boards meet are not sealed & can allow dirt to settle in and make it more difficult to clean. Can also allow moisture easier penetration to the subfloor with surface spills.

Unfinished hardwood floors – Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

Existing hardwood match - It is easier to blend new hardwood into old to give the appearance it was all put in at the same time.

Unlimited stain options - Stain samples can be applied to the floor in the home for customer approval prior to staining entire floor.

No bevels - Floor is sanded smooth with no bevels between floors.

Options - Typically there are far more options from widths, grading, species, and finishes.

Refinishing - Water and oil based finishes are very easy to refinish.

Flat floor - sanding an unfinished floor in the home is more forgiving of slight irregularities in the subfloor since the floor is sanded flat.

Economical - Probably the most economical way to add hardwood to your home. About 7.00sf for 3 1/4" Red Oak.

Difficult to repair - damage to an individual board may likely mean refinishing the entire floor. If all the rooms are connecting this probably means refinishing the entire area just to fix one board.

Sealed finish - Coating the entire floor with several coats of finish provides a better seal where moisture cannot penetrate through and beneath the floor. Prefinished boards are individually coated and do not have an overall finish applied to the entire floor.

Disadvantages

Longer install times - Very disruptive to home. Very messy. Long dry times between finishes. Finish takes many weeks to cure.

Finish - Applied on-site. Contaminants and fine dust particles can be found in the finish. 2-3 coats only

Hard to repair - Damaged boards require replacement and refinisheing of entire floor.

No D.I.Y. - Installation not for the novice. The finishing process should be left to the professional.

Fumes - Fumes from the stain and finish can linger for several weeks.

Install related issues - Sand marks, wood fillers and finish imperfections are just some of the problems that can occur when a floor is finished in the home. These are not easily repairable and may require refinishing the entire floor.