Q: Can we install a prefinished hardwood floor and then put a coat of polyurethane over it, to seal all the cracks? Will it adhere to the prefinished hardwood? A: No. If you don’t like the bevelled edges get square edge site finished which is what I generally recommend. Pre-finished floors will end up costing [...]
Pre Finished Vs Unfinished
Q: We are installing hickory pecan, micro grooved, planked flooring in our entire house. We’re located near the ocean. Our finisher/installer is planning on creating and finishing the wood in his workshop and installing it pre-finished, finish before installation. I am surprised at that decision because I thought custom installed and finished hardwood floors would [...]
Finishing the wood in his workshop and installing it pre-finished?
May 26, 2011
Pre Finished Vs Unfinished Comments Off
Q: I have a customer that wants to use a wood floor in their kitchen renovation. Questions: Should I install a prefinished wood floor in kitchen? What is the sealing or protection factor, as opposed to installing an unfinished floor? Will the poly create a more durable, leak protective coating? In terms of protecting the [...]
Should I install a prefinished floor in a kitchen?
May 24, 2011
Pre Finished Vs Unfinished Comments Off
Q: Is pre-finished hardwood flooring or non-pre-finished hardwood flooring preferable? Is one better than the other is some way, if a person has the choice? I know one needs a lot of prep work and finish work… but other than the ease of installment… if that were not a problem, or if price were not [...]
Q: Is a prefinished hardwood floor suitable for a kitchen? A: Generally, I am not a great fan of prefinished floors. However, especially in a kitchen setting where spills are inevitable, I don’t think it is your best choice to install prefinished hardwood in a kitchen. A site finished floor, properly finished with good quality [...]
Is a prefinished hardwood floor suitable for a kitchen?
May 20, 2011
Pre Finished Vs Unfinished Comments Off
Jul 122006
I am trying to decide on what type of hardwood to purchase. In a previous home I installed dark cherry-stained oak. I have a dog and of course the scratches were very visible and after only a few months looked terrible. I also found it very hard to keep clean.
What type of hardwood to purchase
July 12, 2006
Hardwood Durability, Pre Finished Vs Unfinished, Wood Grades and Species Comments Off
Mar 162006
How long can you wait to sand and finish floors after installing ? We have other tasks to do, like stick on stone around our fireplace hearth. Can waiting too long to sand and finish be detrimental to the unfinished floor?
Feb 262006
Can you tell me the difference between the ceramic coat and the aluminium oxide coat?
Feb 142006
We have recently done a DIY hardwood floor installation using a pre-finished birch product purchased from a major home improvement retailer. This material has micro-bevels, but we noticed during installation that it appears the finish which was applied to the top surface of the strips does not extend down the bevels, i.e.. the bevels are stained, but not actually finished. The result of this is that in all the bevels in the completed floor, we have exposed, unfinished wood, which is susceptible to absorbing liquids easily and could quickly ruin the floor – there are already a couple spots that have started to swell from spills. Of course, we could refinish the entire floor, but we were wondering if there was some way we might be able to seal the joints/bevels without resorting to a full refinish job?
Bare micro-bevels
February 14, 2006
DIY or Hire A Professional?, Installation, Pre Finished Vs Unfinished Comments Off
Nov 152005
Would it be easier to stain a new pine floor before it is laid? If this is the case, could we go ahead and give one coat of finish? The last part of my question is, would we have to stain the ends of the boards when we cut them for installation?
Staining before install
November 15, 2005
Installation, Pre Finished Vs Unfinished, Staining Comments Off
Oct 282005
I just put hardwood floors, pre-finished, into my new condo. I love the color and grain of the wood I chose, but it is not shiny enough. my floor installer told me that adding polyurethane will only make it shine for around a month. Is this true?
Coat over pre-finished floor
October 28, 2005
Installation, Pre Finished Vs Unfinished, Sanding & Refinishing, Satin, Semi-gloss or Gloss Comments Off
Jul 302005
We are building a new house. I love the look of hardwood and would love to have it in the kitchen. The problem is we have three children and I’m afraid it won’t hold up in the kitchen area. I’m also concerned about water damage. At this point I have requested ceramic tile in the kitchen but really want hardwood. The hang ups I have are durability and water damage???….. Help! What’s your opinion?
Jul 302005
We have prefinished maple flooring installed in kitchen, living room/dinning room, master bedroom and down the stairs.
My question is the groove “v” in the boards end and sides are dirty and we wondered how or what we can do to clean this we have tried a small brush but still there. This is most noticeable in the kitchen.
We have always used a wood cleaner recommended by our flooring dealer vacuum and dust mop once a week and damp mop with this cleaner once or more often depending on usage. There are only two adults and two cats in house so very little traffic.
How does prefinished hardwood compare with on-site finished hardwood in terms of: -quality of finish?
Unfortunately, parquet is not the look we are after. We do want wide and long, engineered for a tighter look. I guess it is back to whether or not the sealers will keep us protected.
