Should you buy an unfinished hardwood floor?
Many home builders prefer to buy their materials in their most basic and purest form in order to preserve the idea of really starting from scratch. So, in terms of flooring, these people opt for unfinished hardwood. So they can finally say proudly that the finished product is something they have worked on.
But, apart from pride, it is not practical to buy unfinished hardwood floors. On the one hand, naked buying is only the first step of many. You will still need to sand, apply a finish, stain, wax and, for some, apply preservatives. And that does not include the installation process itself, which involves a lot of heavy sawing, nailing, and so on.
This does not mean that the use of unfinished hardwood materials is a zero sum option. However, it would be VERY convenient to buy prefinished equipment and forget all the hassle before installation. You eliminate many time steps and get closer to the hardwood floor you want.
Some claim that a limited budget encourages them to buy unfinished hardwood. But when you calculate the total costs in the short and long term, you will find that you realize more savings with a pre-defined table, because you will no longer have to worry about labor costs. Everything is already there in an easy to use package. The installation process is another story, though.
