Hardwood flooring prefinished vs. unfinished cost/time

6 years ago

We are pricing out flooring costs and would prefer to get unfinished unfinished floors and sand and finish them on site. Does anymore know how long the install/sand/finish of hardwood floors generally takes? What is your experience? Also, cost difference on labor/materials?

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User

6 years ago

Personal experience.

Hard maple flooring. Took three days to install(working part time) with three helpers. Professional installers would have taken two or less days. However, I installed three bedrooms along a hall, the hall into and including the living room without transitions at the bedroom doorways---the entire floor is monolithic.

Two days to sand(USand sander--a rotating orbit sander. They are slower than a drum sander but much more forgiving).

Used MinWax polyurethane for floors($45 a gallon). Oil based, nasty smelling, but is designed to apply three coats in 36 hours. Does add an amber tint, but that was the color the wife wanted. Cure to walk(socks) in 72 hours, furniture in two weeks, area rugs in 30-45 days. You do NOT want to stay in the building(not a problem for our remodel) for the for two days. The odor is pretty much gone(with ventilation) in that second day.

Cost was a big factor, we have dogs and I needed to do the work myself(had the requisite training/tools/tool rental) and we did not have to occupy until finished with most of the remodeling(bought a foreclosure and had up to three months to do the necessary work).

Reason for the choice of wood was the color, the price(less than $1.23 a sq. ft.) and the finish was as water proof as could be found at the time. Factory finished means small gaps for moisture(new puppys/old dogs) to penetrate. The finish made a water tight seal except on the perimeters. And, I knew the light color would not show the scratches as would a darker color.

No idea what a pro crew would have charged(my son/grandsons worked for meals and a pat on the back), but they would have only been about two days faster.

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SJ McCarthy
6 years ago
Wow. Compare and contrast factory finished vs. site finished.

So...price of the raw wood material ONLY = $X. That is where you start. Then the price of install = $3-$8/sf depending on where you live and the stain/finish you choose. The installer will need to be a mid-range professional with SEVERAL years of sand/refinish experience. The choice of FINISH will dictate the LEVEL of knowledge needed. Do NOT hire someone who ONLY works with oil based urethane to apply Rubio Monocoat....it ain't going to be pretty.

A factory finished floor = $Y...install is roughly $3/sf. Installer can be a low level person with a nail/staple gun with the proper attachments. It doesn't have to be someone with HUGE amounts of training. Just someone with wood working knowledge and who has done it a couple of times before.

Both require acclimation. That is equal. The time needed to install the factory finish is literally the time it takes to nail/staple everything into place and vacuum the home. Could be 1-4 days depending on how BIG or how COMPLICATED your install.

The sand and refinish is going to be "time to nail/staple" + the SANDING + the stain (including decision time for the stain samples offered) + cure times for sealant + finish. This can be 7 - 21 days (or longer).

Without knowing what FINISH you are looking at (oil based, oil modified, water based, urethane, polyurethane, hard wax oil finish, Swedish Finish, etc) we can't tell you the length of time it takes to CURE.

Factory finish is quick and easy. The MATERIALS are more expensive but you save MASSIVE amounts of time. A fantastic $15/sf factory finished solid hardwood could end up cheaper than a site finished solid hardwood of the same species. It all depends on the look you are after.

Whew! That's a can of worms, hey?
cali59 thanked SJ McCarthy
cali59
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you so much SJ McCarthy. All this really helps! I haven't even looked into different types of finished yet. I really appreciate this info! Thanks for your time!!
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cali59
Original Author
6 years ago
SJ Mc Carthy or anyone else, generally what is the time frame for these different finishes

"(oil based, oil modified, water based,
urethane, polyurethane, hard wax oil finish, Swedish Finish, etc) "
SJ McCarthy
6 years ago
Oil based urethane (the cheap stuff) 21 - 30+ days of HEAVY smell = must stay out of the house while the odor is still there.

Oil modified = 10-15 days with moderate odor...same as above.

Water based polyurethane = 5 - 15 days (high-end European finishes in 2K option will have as few as 5 days to reach FULL cure) with low odor profile.

Hardwax Oil Finish = 24 - 48 hours. Almost no odor.

Swedish Finish = ???? = HEAVY ODOUR profile!!!!!!!! Known for it's durability but is NOT EASY to live with the odor for such a long time (30+ days of heavy odor...some people complain as much as 60 days later).
cali59 thanked SJ McCarthy
User
6 years ago
UV light cured. 15 minutes.
cali59 thanked User
cali59
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks again SJ McCarthy! This is great info to move forward with knowing all this!!
cali59
Original Author
6 years ago
SJ McCarty is there one finish or finished you prefer?
SJ McCarthy
6 years ago
I used to sell Loba 2K Supra AT. I am super impressed with the characteristics. It is a water based polyurethane with ceramic nano beads. It is EXPENSIVE ($180/gallon) and it takes SPECIFIC training. Which means 95% of refinishers will not have the knowledge to deal with it.

I'm a fan of 2 part (2K) European produced water based polyurethanes. They are tough and beautiful. They take special training. This pleases me because I WANT to work with a professional who is passionate about his/her profession.

The cost of these high-end European products can DOUBLE the cost of a sand/refinish. Instead of $3-$4/sf, they can be $6-$8/sf because the materials are SOOOOO expensive. Compare the $65/gallon for traditional oil based polyurethane (which has super high VOC content and is illegal in 11 states) and the $180/gallon of the Loba. You can see where the extra money goes.

And yes, Sophie is correct. There is UV Cured urethane products on the market. That is a specialized version of a special product. It is fast but it takes the RIGHT professional with the RIGHT machines (expensive machines = expensive option) to get a UV cured urethane in place.
cali59 thanked SJ McCarthy
cali59
Original Author
6 years ago
Awesome! Thanks so much McCarthy! Are these high-end European products a healthier option? Sounds like you already answered this question however just double checking for understanding, because healthier option is also a big appealto my little family. :)
SJ McCarthy
6 years ago
VOC content in the hard wax oil finishes (Rubio Monocoat is one example) is zero (0). The next best options are the 2K European stuff - especially out of Germany. The Loba 2K Supra AT that I mentioned above = VOC 130 g/L. Compare that to the CARB II requirements of 275 g/L. And compare that to traditional oil based Minwax 550 or 650. The "550" refers to the VOC amount. Minwax 650 = VOC 650 g/L. That makes it illegal in 11 states (those states that have made CARB requirements "the law" in those states).
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