Since the 1600s, hardwood flooring has been used in homes. In the late 1800s, mass production began, enabling homeowners to purchase wood for their floors from local trees. Though these floors have been in use for hundreds of years, they’re still an amazing option for homes. Today, the possibilities are endless, and there are now prefinished wood floors available.

What’s the Difference?

Traditionally, unfinished wood is installed for the flooring in homes. However, the unfinished wood will need to be sanded, cleaned, and finished. Prefinished flooring, on the other hand, is finished before it reaches the home. Once it arrives, it just needs to be properly installed, and the floors are ready to use. For homeowners, there are tons of benefits available if they opt for prefinished wood flooring instead of going the traditional route and installing, then finishing, unfinished wood.

More Convenient Option

Prefinished wood is definitely the more convenient option. The wood is finished at the factory, including a more durable finish since it doesn’t need to cure at the home. Homeowners can pick out the flooring they want, have it delivered to their home, and have it installed right away. There’s no need to worry about sanding or finishing the wood, though it can be sanded and refinished in the future, as needed.

Faster Installation

Homeowners may not want to wait a long time for the installation to be complete. If they’re getting ready to move into a home and need the floors to be ready, or if they’re doing a renovation and want it completed fast, prefinished flooring is the better option. Since the floorboards are already finished, there’s nothing else that needs to be done once they’re installed. Homeowners can start using the room right away without having to worry about the floors.

Less Maintenance Needed

Because the finishing is done at the factory instead of in the home, it’s fully cured before the floors are installed. They’re not going to require as much maintenance as unfinished wood might, which means homeowners can go a lot longer without having to worry about whether they need to have the floors refinished. While it’s possible to refinish them earlier to change the stain used, it’s not going to be necessary for a much longer time. All that’s needed to keep them in good shape is proper cleaning on a regular basis.

Durable Finish

A more durable finish is possible with prefinished wood since it is finished in a factory setting, not at the home. When it’s finished at the factory, there’s no one walking on it or moving furniture around before the finish has had a chance to cure. It’s able to cure faster, too, due to the processes used in the factory as well as the controlled climate that’s set up to optimize the curing process. Depending on the manufacturer, there may also be an anti-scratch coating, which can improve durability and reduce the potential for minor damage to the floors.

Lower Cost for Installation

The cost of installation for flooring directly relates to how much work is done. For unfinished flooring, there are labor costs for the installation of the wood, the sanding, and the finishing. For prefinished flooring, the only labor costs are the installation of the floors. The prefinished flooring is more expensive per board compared to the unfinished flooring, but the overall cost can still be a little bit lower because of the reduced time it takes to complete the installation. Homeowners can also install prefinished boards on their own, which can lead to far more significant savings.

For hundreds of years, homeowners have preferred the warm, rich colorations of wood flooring in their homes. Today, though, there are new options available, from local wood that is less expensive to exotic wood, and unfinished or prefinished wood flooring. If you’re planning on having wood floors installed in your home, take some time to look into prefinished options and see how easy it can be to get the wood floor you want without the hassle of having to finish it before it can be used.

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