Out of the pre-finished floors I choose the Brazilian Redwood 3-1/4" prefinished timber. (the above photo is our sample palate- the tile is our kitchen back splash but in the 2 x 1 shape).I know it will darken up over time and I'm fine with that.
1 of the GC's I met with last week recommended getting unfinished timber so that after the final paint/hardware installation etc they could come in sand the floors and then seal the timber.
His reasoning was that even though the floor will be papered for protection after the install that when they are putting the kitchen in etc or carrying in the appliances that things get scratched and with prefinished you can never get it to look right.
I'm confused....why cant you just sand and repair prefinished to match the rest of the boards etc?
Does anyone with real world experience and not here say have an opinion?
Thanks in advance,
Dean
I have done both raw and pre finished installs in my house. Go with the pre finished.
ReplyDeleteYes, it can be scratched while they do the rest of the work, and the only option to make it match perfectly is to cut out the damaged board and replace it. Sanding a spot on the prefinished stuff will result in a flaw you will always notice. The reflective surface will never be perfect,(the original finish is sprayed) and the light will refract differently off of that spot- and stand out.
If it is stained as well as coated, it is even more impossible to make it match. My plan would be to specify that the contractors be very careful, as until you have paid the last portion of the bill, it is their responsibility to make it right.Being careful is part of the job.
As for the raw product- yes, it can be finished after the rest of the stuff is in- but it is a horribly messy project that will stink for weeks, and the surface does not FULLY cure for a few weeks, making the surface more likely to wear prematurely and/or scratch anyway because I doubt you are going to move out and actually stay off of it completely for a few weeks. That doesn't even take into account the several days of coating, sanding and recoating that need to happen. The dust gets EVERYWHERE. I only recommend sanding floors in an empty house, or in a room that can be sealed. Everything in it will be coated with dust.
Just so happens, I am shopping for a stained bamboo for my bedroom.
Have fun, and Good luck!
Steve