How to Select Unfinished Hardwood Flooring for Your Home |
Posted: July 20, 2018 |
When you look at hardwood flooring for your home, you have two main options for your first decision. You can either choose a finished floor or you can go with an unfinished flooring material. There are several benefits to buying unfinished wood, but you need to know how to choose the right product.
The Benefits of Unfinished Hardwood Flooring
Unfinished hardwood means that it hasn’t been stained or painted. It’s still unfinished and you can finish it once it’s been installed in your home. The main benefit of buying this product is that you can select the stain you want instead of trying to find a finished floor with just the right look.
Unfinished floors are ideal if you’re trying to match it to what’s already in the home. They also make things easier if you’re trying to install floors in a historic home. Often, it can be difficult to find a product that looks like something from a previous era. Another benefit is a lower price. Unfinished wood often costs less than finished since you still have to do the work.
Kinds of Wood for Unfinished Floors
You can find numerous options for unfinished floors. In fact, you can often discover more choices in wood for unfinished floors than what is available for finished products. You can select from domestic woods like oak, maple, walnut or hickory.
Two of the most popular choices are oak and maple because they tend to be less expensive. Yet, they will last for many years because of their durability.
Consider the Finishing Process
Once you have picked out and purchased your hardwood flooring, you’ll need to get it installed and finished. You can do the installation yourself or hire it done. However, the floor won’t be complete even after it’s been installed.
You will probably need to sand it before you stain it. You’ll also have to put on a top sealant once you’ve applied several coats of stain. One of the advantages of choosing unfinished wood is you can paint it instead of staining if you want a modern or decorative look.
It will take several days to finish the wood before you can bring in the furniture or walk on the floors. This process is best done in a brand-new home or in a room you don’t need to use every day. You’ll want to move out of the house if you’re finishing the floor of your living room or other main area.
If you don’t have the tools, you may need to rent sanding equipment. You’ll need to purchase the stain, brushes and other tools. Add this to the price of the flooring, and you will have to see which option makes more sense.
Unfinished hardwood flooring can be an ideal choice for homeowners, but it does come with its own set of challenges. Just make sure you know what to expect before you make the purchase. Either way, hardwood floors can enhance any home.
Canada's premier hardwood flooring store. Proudly selling Hardwood Flooring in Toronto since 1977. We have hardwood, laminates, engineered, and exotic flooring; we also provide hardwood flooring installation.
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