Wondering if you should install prefinished hardwood for the ease? Or pick unfinished hardwood for the beauty? When it comes to prefinished vs unfinished hardwood flooring, the main difference is that prefinished hardwood flooring has been sanded, stained, and coated in a factory. Therefore, all that is left is installation. While unfinished flooring is raw hardwood that will get installed first then sanded and refinished in your home.

Overall, the floor you choose in your home is something that will be there for a while, so you have to love it, know all your options, and choose which option will be best for you. Below we have included multiple pros and cons for prefinished and unfinished hardwood flooring, to help you with your decision-making process.

White walled living room with white couch and bear skin area rug on dark brown hardwood flooring

Prefinished Hardwood

One big advantage of prefinished hardwood is time! It’s a one-step process, once the installation is done, the floors are fine to walk on and put furniture on. There is also less mess with prefinished flooring. Since you are skipping the sanding process, that cuts down on dust and dirt.

Also, prefinished hardwood will cost less overall. The initial cost will be more, but there normally is also a reduced labor cost that makes it a cheaper process. The downside of prefinished hardwood is that you can’t always customize it the way you want.

Unfinished Hardwood

A big advantage of unfinished hardwood is the stunning look it has. It looks like real wood, unlike most prefinished hardwood, even though both are often real. Since unfinished hardwood is finished in your home by a professional, instead of a factory, it really looks like a work of art!

There are also more creative possibilities with unfinished hardwood because you can choose the finish options. A downside is the time it takes to install, sand, and finished unfinished hardwood flooring. But, for floors you’ll love, they will be worth the wait.

Living room with furniture, area rug, fire place, light brown hardwood floors, and light gray walls

And as always, if you'd like to schedule a hardwood flooring project with us, feel free to contact us via our contact page. We look forward to working with you!

And don't forget to follow and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/plushardwoodflooring to make sure to always get the latest updates!