If you are considering hardwood flooring for your home there is a good change you have looked at pre-finished or engineered flooring. You may be wondering what the difference in these products are and how they compare.
Pre-finished hardwood is wood that was finished in the factory but is still a solid plank of wood. Pre-finsihed is ready to be installed and does not require any on site sanding like unfinished wood does. Pre-finished wood may be less expensive than a site finished product because it saves on labor costs.
Engineered wood floors are designed to be used in a variety of environments and can be used in high moisture areas like basements with concrete slab. Engineered wood is not a solid plank but instead is a engineered product made of multiple layers of wood. The layers are glued, pressed, and heated to create the core of the product and then topped with a veneer or wood. The engineered wood product is less likely to warp because of the multilayer core. Engineered products likely cannot be refinished like a solid wood plank but some higher end products have a wear layer that is thick enough to refinish.
These are the basic differences between engineered and pre-finsihed wood. Both options can be great additions to your home. Based on your needs and budget once product may better fit your needs. The choices of colors and designs may be another influencing factor for your home.
