The most frequent question we receive is "What's the difference between prefinished and job finished hardwood?" The differences are simple to explain.

First of all, if comparing the same species and grade of wood, there is no basic difference except in the milling and the finish. Following are some commonalities and differences.

• Cost: People assume a job finished floor will cost more than a prefinished floor. Not necessarily true. There are many prefinished products out there that exceed the price of a well done job finished floor. Rather than assume anything, just have your flooring contractor quote both options. Then you'll know.
• Refinishing: Both prefinished and job finished floors can be refinished years down the road, which means sanding off the existing finish, restaining and applying the appropriate polyurethane finish. Once a prefinished floor is refinished, from that point forward it is a job finished floor.
• Look: Prefinished flooring has the stain and finish applied in a factory, which means the finish is much more consistent and evenly applied than a job finished floor. However, for some people the finish looks too perfect. They like the warmth and look of a job finished floor.
• Milling: Prefinished floor planks have a slight bevel on each side. If you rub your hand across the planks, you'll feel the groove. In a kitchen environment, this groove can sometimes be a collector of grease and food. A job finished floor plank has square edges and is sanded to be flat with no grooves. No place for things to hide.
• Durability: Prefinished floor finishes can be more durable than job finished floor finishes. Numerous coats are evenly applied at the factory, something that can't be duplicated on the job site. However, our supplier of water based polyurethane injects aluminum oxide into their product and they guarantee the finish for 15 years, which is similar to many prefinished floor warranties.
• Color Options: Prefinished floor stains are limited to what the manufacturer decides. A job finished floor can be stained to a color you decide.
• Guarantee: Today, most prefinished floors carry a limited warranty on the finish of at least 15 years. Those warranties aren't including protection against warpage and cupping for that length of time. We have a polyurethane finish available for job finished floors that carries a 15 year warranty. To our knowledge, this is the only finish in the industry that offers such a warranty for job finished floors.