When choosing what type of wood floor, traditionally sand and finish have always been the floor that you can customize with designs, colors, and styles. You can mix species, colors, create different shapes, and master installers can provide several different finishes now from oil to water borne with various color blends. These custom floors will also cost you much more as they become more customized.
Sand & Finish wood floors have a limit though. There are ways of finishing wood that cannot be done in a home that give wood a unique texture and finish. There are also restrictions in size that sand & finish will not allow for in a home. A solid wood floor may not even be necessary either. Many have looked only at solid wood because it can be sanded again and refinished. Technology has changed over the years that allow for wood flooring to exceed its expectations using different finishing processes and recoating techniques.
Prefinished wood flooring can be manufactured using a few different finishing processes. One of the most common processes is using multiple layers of factory finished aluminum oxide which is harder than most sand & finish floor finishes. Aluminum oxide creates a harder more durable finish that is baked on in the factory that also reduces the rate at which a wood floor will fade in direct sunlight over time. Factory finishes normally outlast the finishes that are done in the home.
Some of the other finishes include UV oil cured finishes. This process allows for the natural colors in the wood to stand out with more of a natural finish instead of adding a stain or dye to create the colors. The oil also penetrates the wood deeper allowing for more depth of color. The finish is also not as glossy so that wear and scratches are not as transparent. They oil finish is also warmer to the touch from bare feet than aluminum oxide or in-home finishes. The floors will require a regular cleaning during the year maybe once or twice. Every three to five years it may require re-oiling to keep it looking new and cover over any of the wear in the finish of the wood floor. This finish will be found in certain lines of engineered wood flooring planks.
Another finish that is growing in thermal treated wood planks. The idea is relatively simple: heat lumber to above 320° F in a low-oxygen atmosphere to produce chemical and physical changes in the wood’s cellular structure. The heat treatment results in improved durability and increased dimensional stability. The improved stability allows for a superior flooring performance where minimizing movement is important. This process will be found in engineered wood planks. The veneer on the surface will be treated and the body will give it the thickness and width. The process causes the color of the wood to be consistent throughout the top layer. Scratches and wear will not show up as easily as it would with a finish that the stain is on the surface of the wood. Stain can not penetrate deep enough so that some scratches will stand out because they have gone past the layer with the stain color. A thermal treated plank is also harder after the process which increases its durability to wear.
One of the greatest benefits of prefinished wood floors also is it is much faster to install for remodeling and new construction. There is no waiting for stain and finish to dry and then being careful not to put anything on it until it is fully cured. Prefinished floors are done when the installer finishes. It is ready to move in and start living on them. If over the years the floors do start to show wear and you need help keeping them looking good, there are professionals out there to do that. Aluminum oxide finishes that are worn and lost their glow can be restored without sanding. There are Certified Basic Coating Contractors that refinish wood floors without sanding making them look new again. This means you can get engineered wood floors and they can last as long as a solid wood floor.
Prefinished hardwood floors will give anyone a very wide selection of options for their home. Whether wide or small, dark or light, solid or engineered, there are low cost options and higher cost design options. Take time to talk with a flooring salesman and find out what will fit your needs and price. Your home and wood floor should reflect on what you need and your unique taste. With hundreds of options to choose from, there will be something for you. If you cannot find it though, there are companies that can make custom prefinished wood flooring for you in the color, species, and size that you want. Just find the right flooring retailer that can help you with your home.
At BPS Southeast, our professionals can handle all of your flooring needs. Serving the Spindale NC area, we provide professional floor cleaning and floor installation services for carpet, hardwood, and luxury vinyl flooring from our Rutherfordton, NC showroom. Contact us today to see how we can help you.
