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Differences between Engineered, Pre-finished, and Unfinished
Hardwood flooring
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By Ryan Neumann
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Traditionally Hardwood flooring has been viewed as the cr¨¨me dela cr¨¨me of flooring. Until the 1980's if you had hardwoodflooring, to a certain extent you were considered wealthy. Timeschange as does technology and this either brings prices down orup depending on the supply and demand of a product. In todaystimes, hardwood flooring can be found almost in every retailflooring store around.
Hardwood flooring is generally sold in only a couple varieties.Unfinished Hardwood, Pre-finished Hardwood, Engineered Hardwood.
Unfinished is the traditional product which was bought in acouple different woods, widths, and lengths. The tongue andgroove design was laid and then sanded to get a smooth and eventexture on the surface of the wood. Once the wood was sanded, itwas then stained and lacquered which traditionally consumed alot of labor. Time equals money and in the pre 80's this was avery expensive process.
Pre finished has been on the market for many years now and isthe most commonly used hardwood in homes. This flooring isunique where right after the manufacture cuts the tongue andgroove, it sends the wood through the finishing sander and thento the spray booth where all pieces are finished. The timeconsuming labor processes involved in the sanding andstaining/lacquered unfinished hardwood have bee replaced bymachines which can produce at a higher level of efficiency thanthe human hand. The installation of the pre-finished hardwoodflooring is a 1-2-3 step process. This flooring makes pricescompetitive with other flooring alternatives.
Engineered Hardwood is the newest product on the market and isbecoming more popular. This product is unique where it is madefrom a new form of particle board with a veneer layer of yourchoice of hardwood on the top. This is then pre-finished andsold in stores. The unique aspect of this engineered hardwood isthat it can be installed in basements and cooler/more moistenvironments where the pre-finished and unfinished hardwoodcannot. Prices are slightly higher on the engineered hardwoodbut may come down as supply rises.
In conclusion, choosing which of the three to put on your floordepends on the look you are going for. Each product will giveyou a slightly different look in your home. If you needs aredriven by economy, there is a lot of pre-finished hardwoodflooring options on the market. If you are driven by thetraditional look, unfinished hardwood flooring is a good option.But if you are driven by technology and flexibility, thenEngineered hardwood is your best choice.
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