What is the best grade of unfinished oak flooring?
For oak flooring, there are 3 main grades: select, Number 1 common and Number 2 common. Select grade is generally considered the highest grade as it has the least color variation. It costs the more.
How much does unfinished hardwood cost?
$2 per square foot, up to about $5 per square foot for unfinished domestic hardwoods. Exotic and imported woods may cost more. Pre-finished solid wood flooring prices start at about $4 and can cost as much as $12 per square foot, but most is found in the $4-$10 per square foot price range.
What is unfinished oak flooring?
An unfinished hardwood floor is exactly as its name suggests; it is an unfinished, raw material that will need to be protected before it is walked on. The wood has been made into planks of flooring but left ‘unfinished’, meaning that no stains or protective layers have been added.
How thick is unfinished hardwood flooring?
Typically, solid hardwood flooring is between 5/16 and ¾ inches thick. Those are pretty standard thicknesses that serve most needs. Engineered hardwood can come in different thicknesses but generally, it’s about the same offerings as solid hardwood.
Are there different grades of Oak?
The letter can be an A for exceptional quality oak, or it can be a number 1 to 3, with 3 being of lower quality. 1 being good quality and 3 would have quite a bit of character, such as knots and sap. There is also a 4 which is the lowest quality, but we don’t supply that.
What is the best grade of hardwood?
What Does a Lumber Grade Mean? Grades are based on the amount of usable clear material in a board. The highest grade boards are FAS and Select, followed by #1 Common and #2 Common.
Is it cheaper to install unfinished hardwood floors?
In terms of budget, unfinished hardwood flooring is cheaper when you just consider the flooring itself. Once you factor in the costs of a finishing treatment, then prefinished flooring actually ends up being cheaper. You can consider the pros and cons of both options and decide what works best for you.
Does unfinished hardwood flooring need to be sanded?
Sanding a new unfinished floor is a necessary chore. Not sanding a freshly laid hardwood floor and finishing it as is, makes the installation less messy and time-consuming, but it would be a mistake. Sanding levels the edges of the floorboards, which can vary from one another by as much as 1/4 inch.
Can you leave white oak floors unfinished?
The short answer is, no. You do not have to finish your hardwood floor. Most hardwood floors are stained some color that enriches and deepens the natural color of the wood. It’s not as common as it used to be, but you can leave the floor unfinished.
Can you leave Oak unfinished?
Leaving wood unfinished can actually be a perfectly acceptable option even in high-humidity parts of the house like kitchens and bathrooms.
Can you walk on unfinished hardwood floors?
Unfinished Hardwood makes a durable floor that can be walked on normally while the home is being finished. Since the floor must be sanded and finished, you don’t have to be quite as careful with it during final construction as you would with a pre-finished floor or any other type of floor covering.
Can 3/4 hardwood be glued down?
No, 3/4 solid Hardwood flooring can expand and contract more than engineered wood flooring. I would not suggest direct gluing down any 3/4-inch thick solid Hardwood flooring to any surface, the adhesive bond might not allow the solid wood flooring to move or breath normally and can cause the wood flooring to distort.