7 Benefits of Prefinished Hardwood Flooring
Using prefinished hardwood flooring comes with a long list of benefits. Here are the top seven advantages of using prestained wood instead of unfinished hardwood flooring:
1. Simple Installation
Compared with unfinished floors, pre-finished floors are considerably easier and faster to install. Because pre-finished flooring is already coated in a factory setting, it doesn’t require any extra effort to be sanded and finished on-site. Opting for pre-finished wood flooring also means you get to avoid the dust, noise and smells that accompany the installation of unfinished flooring.
The ease of installation that pre-finished hardwood flooring offers also comes with lower costs. Without the need for any special equipment to finish the flooring, you can keep the price of installation down.
2. Save Time
You can also save an ample amount of time by going with pre-finished flooring. Instead of spending hours manually sanding, staining and finishing your flooring, you can have these steps already checked off when you buy pre-finished wood. As a bonus, you won’t have to wait for the freshly applied finish to cure fully before enjoying your new hardwood floor.
3. Durability
The multiple coats of finish and strengtheners applied to pre-finished flooring make it far more durable than unfinished hardwood flooring. Prefinished wood flooring receives its layers of finish and strengtheners in a controlled factory setting. Additionally, the UV-curing technology and extremely powerful chemical sealers ensure the wood is resistant to everyday wear and tear.
Along with being better able to withstand abrasion, factory-applied finishes are free of flaws from factors like dust, swirl marks and brush hairs. The advanced finishing technologies and drying conditions available in an industrial plant can’t be replicated when finishing flooring on-site.
4. Less Maintenance and Repairs
Because pre-finished hardwood flooring is so durable, it will require less maintenance and repairs in the long run. While hardwood flooring that was finished on-site usually lasts for only a few years, pre-finished flooring can last for decades.
Pre-finished wood flooring will be less susceptible to stains, moisture and other discolorations than floors that get finished on-site, which means you will not have to put up with the mess, expenses and time it would take to have your flooring refinished a few years down the road. Although pre-stained wood requires considerably less upkeep than unfinished wood, keep in mind that even pre-finished hardwood eventually begins to fade.
5. Non-Toxic
Unpleasant odors and toxins are unavoidable when finishing a hardwood floor on-site. By choosing to install pre-finished wood flooring, you can avoid the toxins and careful cleanup that comes with finishing a floor on your own. This is especially beneficial for high-traffic areas of the house as well as households with kids or pets. Because pre-finished hardwood is a hypo-allergenic flooring solution, it is also ideal for those with allergies.
6. More Depth of Color and Natural Wood Texture
Typically, a factory hardwood finish is highly transparent, which means the depth of the wood’s coloring and the look of its natural wood texture get preserved as much as possible. In addition, factory-produced pre-finished hardwood flooring can be found in a wide variety of colors, styles and surface finishes. With such a large selection to choose from, it is easy to find a pre-finished hardwood floor to suit your style preferences.
7. Fewer Imperfections
Pre-finished wood flooring is manufactured in a closed industrial setting, which decreases the chances of imperfections from outside variables like hairs or dust particles. These factories have strict quality control processes in place to ensure each piece of flooring receives an evenly applied coat of stain and finish.