Prefinished hardwood flooring has experienced numerous changes since hardwood flooring turned to be the fashionable alternative for floors of a home. In the past, when you purchased hardwood, you will also get the wood unfinished. This meant that if you installed it, then you had to stain the flooring and apply it with a protective coat along with a shine. These days, it is still possible to purchase unfinished hardwood; however with the various types of prefinished wood, you can save a lot of work for yourself by getting prefinished hardwood flooring.
Every prefinished hardwood flooring manufacturer has different color selections available together with several sizes of boards and finishes. The thickness of boards for prefinished wood floors range from ¼ inch thick to ¾ inch thick. The top layer of the prefinished hardwood is the most essential part because it has to withstand the wear and tear. The thicker the layer is, the more times you can refinish the wood floors later on. The different widths you can choose from in prefinished wood flooring are just a matter of personal taste. When you go to a flooring store, you can test by laying the boards of different widths of hardwood alongside one another to check what effect it will create.
The edges of the prefinished hardwood flooring boards are likewise an important factor to consider. You can pick micro- bevel, also called eased edge, beveled and square edged hardwood boards. Each of these gives a different effect in the prefinished wood flooring that you have. The kinds of finished for prefinished wood floors will also vary based on the manufacturer; however these are applied in a factory under appropriate settings. Generally hardwood floors have seven coated layers of finish on them whenever you buy the packages of prefinished hardwood.
The latest finish available on the market for prefinished hardwood flooring is made up of aluminum oxide, but there are also acrylic, urethane or UV cured among the finishes. There are multiple levels of sheen – gloss, semi-gloss and mat. The number of layers on the prefinished wood floors will certainly determine the degree of shine that you have. Although unfinished hardwood flooring continues to be popular, prefinished wood flooring still makes up more than half of the sales for wood floors. It is because it allows people to redesign their homes with much less time. All you have to do is install the flooring without worrying about the stains, coatings, fumes or drying time.
The convenience of installation with prefinished hardwood floors makes them quite popular with building contractors. Engineered wood flooring is also a very popular item when individuals want the look of hardwood floors without the costly price tag. These come in different colors; however you cannot get the same variety in the types of hardwood that you can have for your floors. When you choose prefinished hardwood floors, you should check the type of wood you want install and the advantages and unique qualities that it provides.
