Ease of
installation; Installers usually only need a day (depending on the floor size)
to complete the job with no sanding, and no finishes used on site.
Because
the pre-finished floor already has been coated, usually multiple times, at the
factory - and therefore does not have to be sanded and finished on-site, it is
more convenient to install.
Also
because of the multiple coats of finish applied at the factory, pre-finished
wood flooring has a very durable wear layer, and the finish itself is under
warranty by the manufacturer.
Site-Finished advantages
Site-Finished floors are sanded and sealed at the job site so there are no bevels to collect dirt and dust.
Requires less sanding to refinish than pre-finished flooring and because of this will increase the life of the floor.
Site finished flooring is sanded flat, so is more forgiving of slight
irregularities or slight height variations.
In the event of damage site-finished hardwood flooring can, in most cases, be easily fixed with
a quick sanding and finish.
When installing hardwood flooring, it is necessary to top nail the
boards along the perimeter. In site
finished flooring, these small nail holes are filled, then sanded and finished
and usually not very visible. Pre-finished floors can be difficult to match with filler and are usually more noticeable that site-finished floors.
Over
time, and possibly over home-owner changes, it is easy to forget the pre-finished flooring product model, which makes it
much more difficult to get an exact match for repairs or if you want to put more of the flooring in other room. Sometimes the flooring may
be discontinued in time.
