Pre-finished or unfinished?

If you need to match or even compliment the colouring of existing wooden flooring, skirting, architrave, trim or even furniture, then unfinished is often the best bet because you can experiment with stains and finishes to get exactly the right colour.

If you have a period property and need to maintain its architectural or historical integrity then an unfinished or even an aged and distressed unfinished floor is probably the best option.

With a pre-finished floor there's no waiting for the floor finish to dry and cure, and no on site sanding - which is sometimes required with solid wood floors without a bevel edge.

Subtle differences between the height of the floor, the exact position of the T&G and the thickness of the board can result in a slight lip at the join of the floorboards, which cannot necessarily be seen but can be felt. With an unfinished board this can be easily sanded out.

Because pre-finished flooring is not sanded completely level on the joins after installation, these boards are almost always supplied with a bevel edge to two sides (and sometimes four sides) - often a micro- bevel of 1-2mm.

Some people love the bevel edges because it gives the floor a floorboard or plank look. Others do not and should choose a micro bevelled board on two edges, or go for boards that offer no bevel at all - but be careful to ensure that these are manufactured to very tight tolerances.

While post installation finishing has some disadvantages the big advantage is that the finish can be customised to exact requirements.

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