Installing unfinished hardwood floors is a way of cutting down on costs when laying a wooden floor because it is a way of getting really top quality wooden floors for less money. However, the success of a project using unfinished hardwood floors in the long term, depends on your budget and the wear and tear the wood flooring is likely to get over time. It is also wise to remember that unfinished hardwood flooring can take quite a lot of maintenance and you need to be able to find the time to do this, or your floor will not stay looking good for long.
There are other factors to consider apart from use and traffic and you may want to give consideration to health factors when you install unfinished hardwood floors. Most people lay hardwood floors unfinished because they are beautiful to look at but also because they provide a much healthier environment that carpeted floors which hold dust, dirt, bugs and many other things that we are best not thinking about.
Installing unfinished hardwood floors can be expensive but apart from the health and visual benefits already mentioned, an unfinished hardwood floor can save you money. Hardwood floors hold the heat better than other kinds of wooden flooring and this will save money on your fuel bills. Installing unfinished hardwood flooring in your home will also increase its value, so it may well turn out that unfinished hardwood floor installation is an investment in the long term.
Unfinished hardwood floors can be fitted by a reasonably able woodworker and this will reduce the initial cost, but the big problem with installing unfinished hardwood floors is water, or indeed any kind of liquid. It will soak straight into the wood and stain, or cause warping and bowing. Unfinished flooring is very difficult to keep clean.
The warranty on unfinished hardwood floors will be very much shorter than prefinished hardwood floors so it is essential to read the warranty and instructions for cleaning and make sure that you do not do anything that negates the warranty. For example, if the instructions say ‘do not use water’ and you do, even a little, it may in fact mean that the warranty is void. There may be a list of recommended hardwood floor cleaners and these should be read and taken notice of.
However, installing unfinished hardwood floors does have one saving grace here because if you really wanted that rustic looking unfinished hardwood floor but you find that it gets scratched and marked too quickly, and that you are always having to clean it, you can still consider finishing and sealing the wood. This is not a simple job though and it is not something to be taken on lightly unless you are an expert with wood. Getting a professional to finish it for you will give it a brand new surface that will remain good looking for many years to come. So, remember that a scratched and dirty unfinished hardwood floor does not have to be replaced.