Hardwood flooring adds a time proven comfort to any room. With its reminder of nature and firm yet flexible surface, along with the décor options it brings, hardwood flooring is an easy choice for interior design projects.
There are three main types of hardwood flooring available on the market today: unfinished, prefinished, and engineered.
Unfinished Hardwood Flooring
Unfinished hardwood flooring is installed, sanded to a level surface, then finished and sealed. It allows for the most customization to a project area, masking any imperfections in the subflooring beneath and allowing for unique finishes tailored to the space. This increased customization brings with it an extended installation process best left to the professionals. The same process of sanding and finishing can be repeated several times as the wood itself slowly is sanded away, allowing for reinvention of a room as average use wears away the finish.
Prefinished Hardwood Flooring
Prefinished hardwood flooring is finished and sealed at the manufacturer, then is installed. It has a much quicker and less intrusive installation process than unfinished options, though still requires specialized tools and techniques best left to the professionals. Since the planks are not sanded to a smooth surface after installation, they do not mask imperfections in the subfloor. As with unfinished hardwood, prefinished planks can be sanded down and refinished when their surface becomes hazy from regular use. The manufactured sealant endures more than locally applied sealants and require the entire floor to be refinished if the room is to remain level.
Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Engineered hardwood flooring has a thin strip of finished wood sealed to a compound of industrial materials. Engineered hardwood flooring has the easiest installation, capable of being installed without any specialized equipment. They come in a similar variety of finishes as prefinished hardwood, though cannot be sanded down and refinished as its sealant turns hazy, like the other hardwood flooring options.
Whatever your hardwood flooring needs, come to Fred Callaghan’s Luxury Designer Showroom to see all our hardwood flooring options! Call or click to talk with one of our design professionals and take that next step towards new flooring!