Hardwood Floors: Site-Finished vs. Prefinished

Color isn’t the only thing you need to consider when choosing hardwood floors. You’ll have to decide whether you want a site-finished or prefinished flooring. 

In this post, your leading home improvement contractor, Handyman Connection of Mason, explains the difference between prefinished and site-finished hardwood floors.

Site-Finished

Site-finished floors are faster to install compared to prefinished ones. After installation, all imperfections and blemishes removed by sanding. However, the finishing process can be tedious and messy. It can take a day or few to complete. Adding texture to the floor, depending on how large the area is, can take another 24 to 48 hours. 

With proper sanding, the floor surface will appear flat and seamless. This type of hardwood floor lets you customize your desired stain, texture, finish, and sheen. You can recoat site-finished floors without doing a complete sanding if the finish gets old or if it gets scratches. Moreover, you can choose different sheen levels like matte, satin semi-gloss or high gloss.

Prefinished

Though prefinished floors take longer to install, it doesn’t require a finishing process. When the installation is done, you can immediately walk on the floor and move your furniture back into place. 

The main difference from site-finished floors when it comes to appearance is the micro-beveled edges. You see the seams on the floor, unlike in a site-finished floor that appears seamless. It’s just a matter of preference, as some like micro-beveled edges and some don’t. 

Prefinished floors don’t need sanding or refinishing. They’re pet-friendly and more scratch-resistant. In addition, they have a smooth and evenly coated finish. However, you can’t customize how it looks and it requires careful installation. A full sanding has to be done since it can’t be screened or recoated. 

No matter which hardwood floor you prefer, you can rely on Handyman Connection of Mason for high-quality installation. We are your leading provider of home improvement services. Call us at (513) 733-3777 or complete our online form for an estimate.