Engineered hardwood flooring is almost always sold pre finished and there is a narrower range of available colors and species than with solid hardwood.
Engineered floors prefinished vs unfinished.
However there are a few circumstances in which unfinished engineered flooring is more desirable than prefinished.
Engineered hardwood flooring.
Prefinished wood flooring is the best avenue when hardwood prices installation cost and convenience are major factors for your flooring project.
Prefinished solid wood floors initially cost more than unfinished wood flooring about 2 per square foot for a good grade of red oak.
But once you factor in finishing costs prefinished ends up.
Due to its versatility engineered flooring has gained a strong foothold in the hardwood floor industry.
Prefinished floors means less mess which has obvious advantages especially if you have children or pets that you don t want exposed to fumes and other installation by products.
Solid wood flooring is generally available in prefinished and unfinished varieties.
One of the drawbacks to prefinished engineered flooring is the lack of customized.
Advantages of unfinished flooring.
Engineered wood is less expensive than solid wood because less expensive woods are used for the lower layers.
Solid hardwood flooring is available in a wide array of wood species including oak maple and black walnut as well as regional specific choices like pecan mesquite and others.
Unfinished flooring looks like real wood.
Durability when it comes to choosing prefinished wood flooring you will find that both engineered and solid hardwood floors offer great durability and a long lifespan with regards to surface wear and tear it is more important that you research what kind of finish is to be added to your flooring as it is the finish that provides the main protection.
It has several things going for it including ease of installation it can be glued down and lower prices.
Even though solid prefinished flooring is real hardwood because of all the many factory sprayed on coats of polyurethane and or stain it is our opinion that prefinished flooring looks plastic y and factory made with a less noticeable grain pattern and thus less warm.
Engineered hardwood flooring which is made from a thin layer of solid hardwood bonded to a core of plywood or particleboard is the leading rival to prefinished solid hardwood.
Prefinished engineered flooring is a more common product than unfinished engineered flooring.