Unfinished or Pre-finished Hardwood Floors?

Deciding between unfinished hardwood floor or pre-finished hardwood floor can be difficult. To help you decide which type of wood flooring is right for your home, here some helpful information.

Unfinished hardwood Floor

Unfinished floors are delivered raw and finished on site. Unfinished floors give the homeowner an opportunity to choose from the greatest range of colors, stains and finishes, which contribute to the personalization of a solid floor. Unfinished wood flooring is available in more widths and wood species than pre-finished wood flooring. Unfinished wood flooring can also be matched most easily to existing wood floors.

Pre-finished solid hardwood Floor

Most hardwood flooring is installed pre-finished, with several coats of protective surface finish already factory applied. Because sanding and finishing are not required, a pre-finished floor is completed relatively quickly without the dust, noise and fumes that can accompany the on-site finishing process.

Is it difficult to maintain wood floors?

With today’s advances in wood flooring stains and finishes, cleaning your wood floors has never been easier. Regular maintenance requires little more than sweeping with a soft bristle broom, and vacuuming with a soft floor attachment if your wood floor includes a beveled edge that could collect debris. You also should clean your floors periodically with a professional wood floor cleaning product recommended by a wood flooring professional.*

* Hardwood Flooring Services recommends that you use Bruce® or Basic® products on your hardwood floors.

Preventive Maintenance

There are other steps you can take to minimize maintenance and maintain the beauty of your wood floors as well.

1. 1.Do not use sheet vinyl or tile floor care products on wood floors. Self-polishing acrylic waxes cause wood to become slippery and appear dull quickly.
   

2. 2.Use throw rugs both inside and outside doorways to help prevent grit, dirt and other debris from being tracked onto your wood floors. This will prevent scratching.
   

3. 3.Do not wet-mop a wood floor. Standing water can dull the finish, damage the wood and leave a discoloring residue.
   

4. 4.Wipe up spills immediately with a slightly dampened towel.
   

5. 5.Put soft plastic or fabric-faced glides under the legs of furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching.
   

6. 6.Avoid walking on your wood floors with cleats, sports shoes and high heels. A 125-pound woman walking in high heels has an impact of 2,000 pounds per square inch. An exposed heel nail can exert up to 8,000 pounds per square inch. This kind of impact can dent any floor surface.
   

7. 7.When moving heavy furniture, do not slide it on wood flooring. It is best to pick up the furniture completely to protect the wood flooring.
   

8. 8.For wood flooring in the kitchen, place an area rug in front of the kitchen sink.
   

9. 9.Use a humidifier throughout the winter months to keep wood movement and shrinkage to a minimum.