For generations, unfinished hardwood flooring was the standard. In the Walnut Creek, CA area and beyond, home and business owners had little other option besides fully unfinished hardwood floors. However, modern technology has come prefinished hardwood flooring, which is quickly becoming the more popular option with area home and business owners alike. While prefinished hardwood flooring is the universally more popular choice, that doesn’t mean it should be the automatic choice for you. A well-informed choice will tell you which flooring option is better suited to your particular need.
Unfinished Hardwood Flooring Pros And Cons
Unfinished hardwood flooring is just that – flooring that is installed raw. The flooring is installed, sanded, and refinished right there on site and there are some pros and cons associated with this method. The pros of unfinished hardwood flooring include:
- Sand and refinish as desired – When you wish to breathe new life into your flooring, it can be sanded and refinished as often as desired.
- Inlays lay flush – If inlays are being incorporated into the floors, they’ll be added after sanding and therefore perfectly flush with the floor’s surface.
- Full sealing – After installation and sanding, the entire flooring will be sealed and protected from future damage.
While there are some pros associated with unfinished hardwood floors, there are some cons as well. The cons of unfinished hardwood floors are:
- It’s a time consuming process – As one would expect, choosing unfinished hardwood floors for your Walnut Creek space is a time consuming process. Floors are first installed, then sanded, and then refinished.
- Time to cure – After the flooring is finished, it’s not actually ready for use. The flooring requires time to fully cure before it can be used.
Prefinished Hardwood Floors Pros And Cons
Like unfinished hardwood floors, prefinished flooring has its own list of pros and cons. The pros of prefinished hardwood floors are:
- It’s a more timely process – Compared to unfinished hardwood floors, prefinished flooring is a more timely process. This makes it more convenient for quick move-ins and renovation projects where a property buyer wishes to renovate and sell the property quickly.
- Durable finish – In prefinished hardwood floors, the pre-applied finish the flooring comes with is surprisingly durable.
- Consistency in style – If you’re looking for uniformity and consistency for your Walnut Creek hardwood floors then the coloring and staining of prefinished boards tends to be more uniform.
Along with the pros of prefinished hardwood floors do come some cons. The cons of prefinished hardwood floors include:
- Limitation of options – When it comes to color, shape, widths, lengths, and grain, your options are somewhat limited with prefinished hardwood floors. With unfinished flooring, you’re provided a more customizable experience.
- Difficult to refinish – Years down the line, you may wish to refinish your hardwood floors to breathe new life into the luster of the wood or simply change the style of the space. Because the pre-finish is so durable, the sanding and refinishing process of prefinished hardwood floors can be somewhat more difficult.
