Unfinished Hardwood Flooring

Info_lover | May 8, 2010 |

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Unfinished hardwood flooring has been around since the turn of the last century. There are plenty of factors to consider when choosing the appropriate unfinished hardwood floor for your home. Unfurnished engineered hardwood flooring will be able to withstand humidity better than a solid floor even though the unfurnished solid hardwood flooring will have a better potential of lasting in a longer time period. The next factor to ponder about is the type of wood. Oak and cherry wood are among the most popular choices, although many consumers are now going with more exotic woods such as bamboo and teak. Choosing the right type of wood is important as the longevity of each type of wood can make a difference to when the flooring will need to be replaced. Unfinished oak hardwood flooring have a coarse grain pattern and a bright color which makes them ideal for rooms that could do with a little shine.

While unfinished hardwood floors require twice more work to be installed due to them missing out on the last steps of the finishing process such as sanding and buffing, they still have several advantages as well. Some installers prefer unfinished hardwood flooring, because it's satisfying for them to do all the work themselves. They feel relieved, but also proud at the end, because it's THEM that put all the work into making the floor look as good as it is now, not some guys at a factory.

Another advantage is the control that unfinished wood floor give you over pigment, shine and grain. Basically, you can do a lot of tweaking on unfinished wood flooring, regardless if this tweaking has a design or a practical purpose. Last but not least (and this is something that is often brought up into play), unfinished floors will be more stable and even than prefinished ones, particularly because of the on-site sanding. This might not be extremely important with small households, but in a larger commercial space that handles a lot of traffic, over time it proves invaluable that the wood is more stable and solid.

Do note that while cheap unfinished hardwood flooring is widely available, extra care will be required to make sure the floor is properly protected and maintained. To clean unfinished hardwood flooring, a vacuum, broom, bristle brush, TSP (trisodium phosphate), rags, and the occasional use of a sanding block are some necessary supplies. You should watch out for oil based products or waxes as these can ruin an unfinished floor, making it hard to finish the floor later.

Installing unfinished hardwood flooring is pretty simple with the ways the wood is now cut to match ends is much easier than in the past. Just remember to let the wood acclimate to its new environment before installation, and make sure it has the room to expand and contract to avoid splitting and damage. So if you're looking for good customization, stability and uniformity at the cost of a longer installation time, unfinished wood floors are definitely worth a shot.