Prefinished Vs Site Finished Hardwood Floors

However, prefinished woods have just floor installation cost while site finished woods have to be both installed and sand & finished.

Prefinished vs site finished hardwood floors.

The fact is, wood will shrink and expand with changes in humidity, and gaps in a site finished floor are far more noticeable than prefinished. It creates a distinct difference in appearance between the two materials. When site finished flooring shrinks in the winter, the gaps that develop will crack the finish, which is especially the case in wider boards.

Site applied finishes also seemed to have a better appearance. You see, prefinished hardwoods are milled, manufactured, packaged and marketed. Have you found a pre finish product you like?

The factory finished or prefinished hardwoods are sealed with a sealant that is a combination of urethane and aluminum oxide; Pros and cons are many but if you had a spill on site finished and there was damaged you have to resand the entire floor. Often, though, factory prefinished wood planks will have beveled, slightly rounded edges.

A site finished hardwood is typically sealed with a liquid polyurethane that dries into a hard shell. This means that a prefinished floor cannot be sanded as many times as an unfinished floor as it will more quickly. The advantages of prefinished hardwood floors.

For those diy folks out there, here is just the cost for the hardwood itself: In most cases, this means you’ll get a more consistent and even finish. Prefinished hardwood flooring sales have only recently overtaken unfinished or site finished hardwood flooring sales.

Prefinished hardwood flooring is usually the best way to go if cost and convenience are among your biggest concerns. In either case you should focus on sourcing a good professional and he will be able to answer the more detailed questions that are particular to your new home. Unfinished hardwood flooring you can walk on your new prefinished floor immediately.