Unlike
prefinished hardwood floor
installations, site finished refers to
the actual installation of unfinished
hardwood, then it is finished on site;
hence the name site finished.
This kind of
procedure is more
commonplace with higher end homes or
those seeking a near flawless appearance
on completion.
Flawless
Appearance You Say?
Once the floor is
sanded and coated with the preferred
finish it may appear flawless. This type
would be better described as being
vertically and horizontally flush/flat
without any separations in the form of
gaps or bevels between the boards.
Depending on the finishes used and
number of coats, it can provide a smooth
like surface feel or visual, unless one
preferred a site finished beveled floor.
Yes, unfinished beveled hardwood can be
obtained.
Obtaining and
maintaining a near flawless appearance
requires skilled floor finishers, or
ones that can smooth out an unfinished
floor. On final inspection, better
workmanship will offer a near table top
appearance, without waves or other
imperfections common with unskilled
workmanship. Chances are good this kind
of work may not be seen with guys
offering bids too low to be true. The
decision is yours. Over the most recent
ten years alone, a large number of guys
claiming they can do the work have come
into this profession.
In order to
maintain this appearance, conditions
within the residence have to be kept
constant. In other words, relative
humidity must be monitored; not an easy
task for some homeowners that open doors
and windows during certain seasons, then
depend on heating systems during colder
periods. Constant or prolonged changes
in relative humidity from one extreme to
another will result in floors expanding
and contracting.
Is It Messy?
Odors?
For those that may
be odor sensitive, some finishes may not
be in the cards. More friendlier water
based finishes could provide a better
alternative, but you do lose the
ambering effect oil based finishes
provide. Our suggestion is contacting a
qualified professional in your area that
can make up large samples you can choose
from. Instead of smaller prefinished
samples seen in many dealer showrooms, a
custom site finished contractor can put
together larger samples showing
different finish types and gloss levels.
Custom Staining
Can't find the
right stain color? This is one great
benefit to these types of floors. Just
as the guy above, you can request
samples be put together trying to
duplicate a color you've seen that goes
with your homes decor.
Conclusion
The single most
important ingredient in a successful
site finished job aside of the finishers
skill, is what happens before, during,
and after the installation. This
includes many topics covered at the
related page links below. Site finished
floors will take longer to complete due
to drying times and the number of finish
coats desired. Work areas must be free
of those that could be raising dust
during finishing periods. Generally most
builders have little experience with
these types of installations and will
probably try to steer you into the
prefinished selections.
For the most part,
installation and finishing of unfinished
hardwoods onsite will create a lot of
dust, but is dependant on who you have
chosen for the work. Some professionals
take the utmost pride in leaving the
premises the way it was before they
started, others do not. The cutting of
material should take place away from the
installation area. Exceptions include
new construction or major remodeling
where final cleanup has yet to be
performed.
Some floor finishers have containment
systems that remove a large portion of
the dust equation from the job. Expect
these guys to be priced much higher.
Benefits will outweigh the costs if
someone is allergic sensitive, and a
preference for not discovering dust
everywhere for weeks and months after
the fact.
Costs: Will vary
from one region to another.. An average
labor cost would be $6.00 per square
foot for installation and finishing.
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