Wondering about differences when it comes to prefinished vs unfinished hardwood floors? Well, you are not alone. There are many differences between these two types of hardwood floors which you should read more about. However, for today, we are just going to focus in on one particular quality: durability. When customers are deciding on a new floor, one of their chief concerns is almost always how durable their new floor will be. If you are one of those people, keep reading because we are going to explain to you the differences in durability for prefinished and unfinished hardwood floors.
Before we get into our breakdown, we need to ask ourselves: what do we mean when we say durable? Well, to put it simply, the more durable something is, the longer it lasts without the need for upkeep. This last part is important. Of course, regardless of the type of hardwood floor you have, you will need to do the basics: sweeping, vacuuming, and cleaning up spills. However, any other type of upkeep such as refinishing or repair means that the durability of your floor is compromised.
Obviously, no floor lasts forever but some flooring types are certainly more durable than others. And, the good news is, regardless of your choice when it comes to prefinished vs unfinished hardwood floors, both options can last you a lifetime if they are well maintained.
So what qualities, specifically, make a floor durable? Well, a durable floor should be scratch-resistant, it should not stain easily, and it should be able to withstand reasonable force from humans and animals found in everyday life.
So let’s get down to it. Prefinished vs unfinished hardwood floors: which wins the durability battle?
The answer: prefinished hardwood floors.
Now don’t get us wrong: unfinished hardwood floors are incredibly durable as well, especially if you take care of them the way you should. However, when it comes to durability, prefinished hardwood floors get the win.
So what is the reason for this difference? Primarily it is because prefinished hardwood floors have coats of durable finish applied to them while still at the factory (hence their name). Meanwhile, unfinished hardwood floors do not have coats of finish applied to them until they are already in your home. This is a significant difference because the chemical processes available to apply coats of finish are much more powerful in a factory setting than those that can be applied in your home.
Also, because prefinished hardwood floors are expected to last longer, their warranties similarly last a long time, especially compared to hardwood floors. Typically, warranties for a unfinished hardwood floor last between 10 and 25 years. While that is a long time, warranties for prefinished hardwood floors usually start at 25 years and can scale up as far as 100 years. In other words, there are many cases where manufactures are betting that your prefinished hardwood will last you your entire lifetime.
Well, maybe. There are a lot of factors to take into consideration beyond the question of durability. Before making any final decisions, you should research many other factors as well including customizability, pricing, maintenance procedures, and installation cost. Of course, durability is important, but it should not be the only thing you base your decision on.
Regardless, hopefully this article helped give you a sense of durability concerns when it comes to prefinished vs unfinished hardwood floors. If you have any further questions or if you are looking to get a new hardwood floor, give GID Flooring a call. We have over 15 years in the flooring industry and our experts will walk you through all of your flooring needs (hardwood or otherwise!).