When it comes to choosing new hardwood flooring for your home, you have two options: pre-finished or raw unfinished hardwood. Pre-finished flooring is already sanded and finished with a protective coating at the factory, while raw hardwood flooring is unfinished and must be sanded and finished on-site. While pre-finished flooring may seem like the easier choice, there are several advantages to choosing raw hardwood flooring instead.
Customization – One of the main advantages of raw hardwood flooring is the ability to customize the color and finish to your exact specifications. With pre-finished flooring, you are limited to the options available from the manufacturer. With raw hardwood, you can choose the stain color and finish type that best suits your style and home décor. Let us know what color and style you envision and we can supply you some samples to help give you a better visual.
Seamless Repairs– Raw hardwood flooring allows for seamless repairs if any damage occurs. With pre-finished flooring, any damage to the finish will be visible and may require replacing the entire board. With raw hardwood, the finish can be easily repaired or replaced without having to replace the entire board.
Site-Specific Sanding – Another advantage of raw hardwood flooring is that the sanding process can be tailored to the specific site conditions. The sanding process can be adjusted to address any unevenness in the subfloor, resulting in a smoother and more level finish. With pre-finished flooring, the factory sanding is often uniform and may not be able to address site-specific issues.
Cost Savings – Raw hardwood flooring can also be more cost-effective in the long run. While pre-finished flooring may have a lower upfront cost, the customization options and seamless repair capabilities of raw hardwood can save you money in the long run. Additionally, raw hardwood flooring can be sanded and refinished multiple times, extending its lifespan and saving you money on replacement costs.
Health Benefits– Finally, raw hardwood flooring may offer some health benefits over pre-finished flooring. Pre-finished flooring may contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the factory finishing process, which can cause health problems for some individuals. Raw hardwood flooring does not have these VOCs and can be finished with low-VOC or VOC-free finishes for a healthier indoor environment.
Overall, while pre-finished flooring may seem like the easiest and most simple choice, there are several advantages to choosing raw hardwood flooring instead. The ability to customize the color and finish, seamless repairs, site-specific sanding, cost savings, and potential health benefits make raw hardwood flooring a great option for homeowners who want a durable and customizable flooring option for their home.
Your Reliable Source for Wood Flooring in the Midwest & Southern Region
When you need assistance with wood flooring, contact Phillips Lumber & Millwork in Indiana. Our focus is to provide quality material at an affordable price. Please give us a call (812) 873-6758 to talk about the options we can assist you with. For decades we have served our nearby region, including major cities such as Louisville, Kentucky; Cincinnati, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana with quality wood flooring and provided the knowledge to help ones choose the right flooring for their needs.