Hardwood flooring is the go-to flooring choice for most modern homeowners. With a gorgeous appearance and durability that can withstand the test of time, it’s no surprise that hardwood has become the preferred flooring option on the market. Did you know there are different types of hardwood available, though? From traditional to engineered, to pre-finished, not all hardwood is made the same! Below we’ll review the basics of prefinished hardwood to see how it compares with traditional hardwood.
What is Prefinished Hardwood Flooring?
Before you can understand what prefinished hardwood is, you have to know what traditional hardwood is. Traditional hardwood flooring planks are installed into the home. After the installation is complete, the floors are then sanded, stained, and sealed.
Prefinished hardwood changes up the order of how the floors are prepared. Planks of wood are sanded, stained, and sealed before installation. In fact, those steps are done before the wood even leaves the manufacturer! The wood is made to be ready to go once it’s received by the customer or contractor.
Quick Installation
The installation process is much quicker with pre-finished wood since your contractor won’t have to take time to sand, stain, and seal the wood themselves. Quick installation is beneficial for a couple of reasons. First, it keeps costs low. Contractors charge for labor based on how long a job will take, so it only makes sense that prefinished hardwood installation is cheaper. Secondly, you’ll get to enjoy your new floors sooner, with less disruption in your home! The floors will be shining and looking great just minutes after installation. In a world where time is money, this is a big perk!
Fewer Design Choices
One of the downsides to prefinished flooring is that there are fewer design options to choose from. Since the manufacturer is staining and sealing the wood, they can only offer so many stain options. It can be more challenging to find prefinished hardwood you love than it would be to custom design the perfect color of stain for traditional hardwood floors.
The good news is that the stain you see at the time of purchase doesn’t have to last forever! The floors are prefinished, but they’re still real hardwood. This gives you the option to have the floors sanded down and re-stained in the future to a color of your choosing.
Visible Flooring Seams
Another consideration is that with prefinished flooring, the floors have more visible seams. With traditional hardwood, the seams are evened out during the sanding process. When the sanding is done before installation, you’ll be left with more noticeable seams between boards. Some people love this look, while others don’t care for it. This is really a personal design choice to determine if the visible seams are an issue for your home or not.
Contact Central Mass Hardwood
If you’d like to learn more about the pricing and installation of prefinished hardwood floors, contact Central Mass Hardwood today! We’re the leading expert flooring contractor in the Marlborough MA area, providing quality hardwood installation services. Call us today at 508-460-0199!
