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Hardwoods: Pre-Finish or Finish on Site?

So, you’re finally installing the hardwood flooring of your dreams!  Once you’ve decided what species to install, what plank width you’d prefer, and any pattern you may want, it’s time to tackle the final question: pre-finish or finish on site?

Here at the Poulin Design Center, we’ve broken down some of the facts for each option:

Prefinished Hardwoods

Prefinished hardwood flooring will be quicker to install.  With the flooring materials arriving ready to go with the finish already there, it simply is a matter of getting the flooring in place.

Finishing a hardwood floor means that you’ll have some fumes in your home for a bit from the stain and finish used on the wood floor.  Prefinished hardwood floors have already gone through the entire finishing process in the factory, so they will not cause any odors in your home.

Hardwood Finished on Site

You’ll find with all real hardwood flooring that some irregularities exist. When you sand and finish the floors on site, you’re able to get an exact seal between floorboards and prevent any uneven edges from cropping up in your new floor!

If you’re looking for the most variety in color options, you may want to choose to have your hardwoods finished on site.  The stain and finish options are much more plentiful when you have the flooring finished in your home.  With pre-finished hardwood floors, you are limited to the stains and finishes the factory has already chosen.

Need more information on your new hardwood flooring?  Call the Poulin Design Center today and schedule a free consultation. We’ll show you flooring samples so you can see what would be best for your Albuquerque home!

Photo: Fabio Sacchi