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Prefinished vs. Unfinished


Some common myths and questions about prefinished vs. unfinished wood:

  1. In the market today, many consumers decide to have prefinished wood installed because of fear of mess and cost.

    The mess involved in sanding unfinished wood is minimal compared to the investment in your home. It  takes a couple of hours to clean up dusts from sanding; don’t you think it’s worth it to have the best looking most dependable product for your money?

    Did you know?
    Unfinished wood and prefinished wood run about same price for material and labor, and in most cases unfinished wood is less expressive.

  2. This is not what I bought? Customers have called Strictly Hardwood and asked for their newly installed prefinished wood to be sanded, because it did not look like they thought it would when they saw it in the store. For instance, prefinished wood has grooves in between each plank.

    Bottom line is that those who sell prefinished wood only do so because they do not have the expertise to provide the customer with a custom finished product. Most builders in South Carolina prefer real unfinished wood in their personal homes, and our customers say they would never go back to the “faux” product after having unfinished wood.

  3. Spills can lead to bigger home problems. Prefinished wood stands for a greater risk of mold with spills, wet feet and even moping over the floors seeps into grooves and onto the sub flooring and if this happens, it can be quite costly to the customer.

  4. Why unfinished wood is safer?  Unfinished wood has polyurethane across the top and serves as a barrier to that moister cannot slip through the grooves.

  5. A Superior Product: Unfinished wood is slightly less expensive and superior to pre-finished, tongue-in-groove flooring that collects dusts and prohibits refinishing. Sanding and on-site finishing makes for more uniform, stable and even floors, while allowing for personalization of colors, inlays and more. Unfinished wood is also easier to match to existing home floors.