What to Think About Before Deciding on Your Hardwood Flooring

Everyone loves the look of a beautifully installed hardwood floor, but there are many pre-installation decisions that need to be made that can affect the look, life and long-term value of your home’s new floor. Of course there are types of wood, color and finish styles, but an even more important decision is whether to purchase a pre-finished floor or a site-finished floor. Okay, maybe you haven’t gotten that far in your hardwood floor decision making process, well that’s okay – I am here to help!

You have two options when it comes to your installed hardwood floor: prefinished or site finished. What does that mean you ask? Here is the “easy” explanation: both floors are hardwood, the pre-finished floor comes ready to install, and it can usually be done in a day depending on the size of the room. It is already finished and ready to go. A site-finished floor is installed, sanded and finished on site. There are pros and cons to each type of flooring choice. Grab your pencil and start taking notes!

First of all, a prefinished hardwood floor is easy to install, comes in many colors and finishes that are packaged and ready to go. An accomplished do-it-your-selfer could do the job themselves if they were willing. The flooring has already been finished, so it does not need to be sanded and finished on site. Because prefinished flooring is coated in the factory multiple times, it has a very durable wear layer that is usually guaranteed by the manufacturer. Even with these advantages, a prefinished floor has some disadvantages as well. Prefinished floors can be hard to clean in the cracks between boards where dirt can be trapped. Another disadvantage of a pre-finished floor is when refinishing, it is necessary to remove more wood to get a level floor. A prefinished floor will also maintain height irregularities, meaning that if you have a bump in your subfloor, you will have a bump in your hardwood floor as well. Over time and homeowner changes, many people do not know or forget the actual manufacturer of their prefinished flooring, which can make it difficult to track down an exact match if board replacements are necessary at any point.

A site-finished floor is a little more work to install. You can expect a small crew, lots of sawdust, noise and time. But with this disadvantage comes many advantages to finishing you floor on site. Because you are cutting the planks on site, the boards can be longer than prepackaged flooring, giving your room a more seamless look. Another perk of finishing the floor on site, is you will not have the beveled edges of the prefinished boards. Since the flooring is installed and then sanded and finished, your floor will have a smooth, tabletop appearance. Sanding you floor onsite also will ensure that it is flat and even, regardless of subfloor, and will be more likely to forgive any irregularities in the floor.

Ultimately, the flooring you choose is up to you. Both options will provide your home with a beautiful and classic look that you will enjoy for years.