The finishing touch of every wooden floor is the top layer of protective product, which can be different, depending on the wood species and the effect desired. No matter what type of finishing product the bare wood is treated with, this top layer is essential for the flooring, being as important as the quality of the lumber material. The finishing layer is the barrier between the fine bare wood underneath and the environment, which can be sometimes too aggressive, including high traffic, high levels of everyday use, humidity, heavy objects, sun rays and more. The quality finishing product guarantees the longevity of the construction and less wear and tear visible. When purchasing wood flooring, you always have these two options – buying prefinished planks or timbers or buying unfinished ones. If you want to learn more about the pros and cons of each of the two options, keep reading and our London flooring technicians will share their professional opinions.
Prefinished floors are called that way because you buy wooden planks and timbers with finishing coats, applied in the factory, ready to be installed. The protective cover is applied under a controlled environment, which achieves a perfectly sleek surface, hard to achieve on-site. The conditions in the factory allow the planks to completely dry, preventing the finish from getting dirty or dusty during the drying period. The biggest benefit prefinished planks come with is that the finish always lasts longer, usually 10-15 years, because it is mixed with aluminium oxide hardeners and sun guard protection that ordinary finishing products don’t have. Both of them make the floor extra resistant to the affection of the environment and also everyday use. Other selling points of prefinished floors are the fact they are easier to install, cheaper because they don’t require additional services like sealing and staining and also quicker because you don’t have to wait for the finish to dry.
If you are wondering what are the benefits of unfinished floors, here is more about them. When buying an unfinished floor you buy planks, which are not treated with a finishing product in the factory. Sealing and staining happen on-site. That way you get maximum flexibility and variety of choices when choosing a finishing product. Of course, it is recommended to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations when choosing the finishing product, depending on the wood species and the desired effect. You can always select how to customise the floor to match furniture, decorations and your style. Unfinished planks are available in different sizes and thicknesses, so you can customise your project even more. In addition, some wood species are available only unfinished. Unfinished floors, of course, are much cheaper than prefinished ones, however, the finish wears off quickly. The good news is that unfinished floors can be sanded and refinished multiple times.
No matter if you choose prefinished or unfinished wood flooring, you always make a great investment because of the elegant appearance, durability and longevity of the parquet floor installation.
