We get a lot of questions about finish and hope we can take away some of the confusion regarding hardwood floor finishes. First of all hardwood flooring either comes pre-finished or unfinished. Unfinished flooring is then finished at the job site. Pre-finished flooring is factory finished and does not require any further steps after installation. Pre-finished hardwood floors come previously finished with limited finish options. Most pre-finished floors have an aluminum oxide uv cured urethane finish. It is a very hard scratch resistant finish. "Aluminum Oxide" and "Poly-Urethane" are common terms you will hear when describing hardwood floor finishes. There are different finish options that you must be aware of depending on whether you choose pre-finished or unfinished flooring. Below is sort of an unfinished vs. pre-finished hardwood flooring guide to answer some questions you may have.

PRE-FINISHED VS. UNFINISHED FLOORS

Why choose pre-finished hardwood flooring?

Pre-finished floors take away from messy sanding jobs that take several days after installation to finish and dry. They generally have harder more durable finishes applied at the factory. They are very well made and offer a beautiful floor guaranteed to last for years. Most factory finished hardwood floors have 6-10 coats of a ultra-violet cured urethane applied to the wood's surface. Also, recently, Aluminum and Ceramic particles are added directly to the floor's finish by manufacturers, which dramatically increases the life of the urethane finish.

Pro's of Pre-finished (Factory Finished) Hardwood Flooring

* More durable & scratch resistant
* Save time
* Usually saves money
* Looks great
* Can be refinished if wear layer is thick enough (1/8 inch minimum)
* Comes engineered and solid
* Cleans easily
* 10-25 year finish warranties

Con's of Pre-finished (Factory Finished) Hardwood Flooring

* Slightly longer installation time due to necessity not to scratch finish
* Generally shorter average lengths of flooring
* Refinished aluminum/ceramic oxide is caustic and more costly
* Micro-Beveled
* Can't make custom borders and inlays
* Can't be recoated must be sanded and refinished with polyurethane, oil, or wax.

All in all we think that buying pre-finished is the customer's choice depending on needs and life circumstances. We believe that factory finishes are generally very durable and make great floors for living on without the need to worry about scratches and maintenance. Vacuuming and Sweeping a few times per week. Mopping is recommended weekly to keep the floors looking great. We recommend using the manufacturers suggested cleaning product. However, Bona Cleaning Products work for almost all urethane pre-finished floors.

Factory Finished Glossary

* Factory Finished Hardwood Flooring -- Wood floors that have been factory finished before they are installed.
* Acrylic Impregnated – Acrylic monomers are injected into the cell structure of the wood to give increased hardness and then finished with a wear layer over the wood.
* Acrylic-urethane – Has a slightly different chemical make up than polyurethane, but with similar benefits.
* Aluminum Oxide – particles added to the polyurethane finish to increase the abrasion resistance of the wear layer. This has become extremely popular on the better grades of hardwood floors.
* Ceramic – Advanced finish technology that allows the use of space-age ceramics to increase the abrasion resistance of the wear layer.
* Polyurethane – A clear, tough and durable finish that is applied as a wear layer.
* UV-cured – these floors are finished at the factory and the polyurethane finish are cured with Ultra Violet lights instead of using heat.

Why choose unfinished hardwood flooring?

Many people choose unfinished flooring because they desire the ultra clean seamless look of sanded & finished flooring. Or they may be hand scraping, hewing, or distressing on site. Job site finished floors are the finest floors money can buy. This is when finish is applied AFTER the flooring is installed. Whether the floor is sanded flat or hand scraped, planed, or distressed on site, it is nearly impossible to match this look with factory pre-finished flooring. With unfinished hardwood flooring borders and elaborate inlays are possible. Unfinished floors can be stained to match or contrast existing decor. For expert opinions on hardwood flooring finish go to Floormasters.com.

Pro's of Finishing Floors On Site

* "Perfect floor" can be achieved, Looks Amazing!
* You choose bevel, v-grooves, or square edge
* Floor is sealed
* Longer Lengths
* Wider Planks
* Patterns, Inlays, Medallions, Stone, etc. can be laid into the hardwood flooring
* Choose stain, color option, and finish (more environment friendly finishes possible)
* Finish with Solvent/Oil or Water Based Poly-Urethane, "Swedish" Finishes, Natural Oils, Natural Waxes
* Hand Scrape On Site
* Add several coats of finish, commercial finish possible also

Con's of Unfinished Hardwood Flooring

* Job takes longer. Often, only one coat of finish can be applied per day
* Dusty Environment. Dustless systems have some dust emission and are more costly
* EVERYONE MUST STAY OFF THE FLOOR. Hence, all work must stop until dry
* Non-professionals, rushing contractor, or distracting contractor may cause imperfect finish
* Odor can be strong and lingers for a few hours to a few days
* Not good for people with allergies to be around floor until it "breaths" for awhile
* More money

Most of us grew up on these types of floors and know that they can stand up to anything. Solid site finished oak, maple, cherry, walnut, pine, fir and hickory flooring are part of american heritage and we believe that these floors are still the best floor for your money. A simple refinish with a surface coating from one of today's leading poly-urethane companies will always impress the masses. If you are in new construction or doing and addition we recommend buying some of our unfinished long length strip or wide plank hardwood flooring. We have great prices on some of the longest wood floor material you can find.

Site Finished Glossary

* Water Based Urethane - Water is used as part of the chemical make up of the polyurethane finish.
* Oil/Solvent Based Urethane - Generally the most common hardwood floor finish, known for being easy to apply. It is a solvent-base polyurethane that dries in about six-twelve hours. Oil based urethanes offer a hard mar-proof surface that will not crack, chip, or peel. Usually available in gloss, semi-gloss, and satin sheen levels. This finish tends to amber with age.
* Moisture Cured Urethane - MCU's are the ultimate in wood floor surface protection. Similar to oil/solvent based urethanes but, this finish needs the moisture in the air to cure. MCU will retain gloss longer than any other finish and is more durable and more moisture resistant than other surface finishes. Ambering and Non-ambering available. These finishes are best left to the professional.
* Natural Oil - Tung Oil, Vegetable Oil, and Linseed Oil are common oil finishes. All provide their own unique benefits and maintenance instructions.
* Wax - Liquid or paste wax