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Posted on April 1, 2006 by Alphonso Sirtle.. | Posted under Home Improvement
Unfinished Hardwood Floors - A Mini-Guide
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When you see that beautiful hardwood floor and decide to get one of your own, you are probably seeing a finished hardwood floor. A finished hardwood is glossy, brilliant, and amazing to behold. However, most people do not start out with that perfect finish. The average home installer usually starts with unfinished hardwood floors that will later be transformed into that magical beauty as if by some miracle of chance. Usually, unfinished hardwood floors come in boards that come in three popular sizes. There is the 3-inch board, the 4-inch board, and the 5-inch board. There are of course a wide range of other sizes, but those three are the most commonly used. These will be notched to perfection so that they slip comfortably onto one another leaving you with a seamless, beautiful floor when all is said and done. Some common materials for those unfinished hardwood floors are white oak, red oak, hard maple, hickory, and just about any type of wood you can imagine. Each wood is either a common or select grade depending on the quality of the wood. Common will do for most people who enjoy those little imperfections, but select grade will actually come with very few imperfections. Now you probably want to know the difference between finished and unfinished. Well, for one price. Finished hardwood floors come ready to use all you need to do is assemble. Kind of like a model car which comes already painted. On the other hand, unfinished hardwood floors need to be sanded, primed, and polished to perfection. Think of a model car that you need to paint once you are done. Some people prefer doing the painting themselves, but other people prefer having it ready to use as soon as possible and with the least effort. The big difference is not price. Yes, finished hardwood flooring is more expensive than unfinished, but in the end, you will probably save money with the finished hardwood flooring. The biggest difference is in what you can do with an unfinished hardwood floor. You get the chance to make a creation that is solely yours. There is more effort involved, but the effort is always worth the end product to most home owners. A hardwood floor is a cherished part of any home. However, there is considerably more upkeep needed for a hardwood floor than other floors. Deciding whether you want finished or unfinished hardwood floors for your home is the first step in a much bigger set of options that will seem to plaque you when you own any type of hardwood floor. About The Author: Alphonso has been working in the home remodeling industry for last 5 years. Take advantage of his experience and written material on flooring ideas at his website at http://www.improve-home.com |
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