Why Should You Choose Unfinished Wood Flooring Over Prefinished

Difference between Unfinished and floorboards

Unfinished floorboards come without any kind of wood finish. This means no sealant, penetrating, satin, oil, paint, vanish or lacquer. While in all other respects, it’s ready to lay.

Usually it is ready sanded and is often available in groove and tongue form.

Prefinished wood flooring, on the other hand once laid is pretty much ready to use. Mass produced cheaper boards that have been dried rapid with ultra violet radiation can be used right away. Whilst oven dried higher quality floorboards with natural mineral finishes, often need a light application of conditioning oil before they are ready to use.

Can unfinished wood flooring be used without finishing?

Floorboards get easily blemished and marked without protective finish quickly; hence you cannot use unfinished wood flooring without applying finish. Moreover finish also protects the wood from spills and moisture.

Is using unfinished floorboards cheaper?

Well unfinished real wood flooring is cheaper than the prefinished floorboards. Though, you might not save money with unless you do all the finishing work yourself.

You need at least 2-3 days to let the multiple coats of finish dry in between each application, if you are applying the finish directly on site. So in case you hire someone they might charge you for extra labour and multiple visits to your place.

Two reasons to use unfinished floorboards

1. Unfinished flooring is best uneven surface

Floorboards lying together unevenly have slightly raised ends, corners or edges. This has to be rectified before the floor can be used. The only way to do so is by sanding floorboards after they have been laid.

In such situation, prefinished floorboards would be totally inappropriate. Using unfinished floorboards would be an absolute must.

2. Special finishing requirements

Manufacturers offer numerous prefinished options to choose from. Still you won’t find the exact finish you look for even though it’s quite possible. Hence you will have to make or buy the finish and apply it yourself.

Non-natural floor stain colours like blue or purple or special artistic effects like marbling or stippling would definitely fall into the DIY category. Same goes with speciality finishes like carnauba, coconut oil and shellac.