We just put Bellawood in our kitchen. We have Brazilian cherry 2 1/2" that we got from Lumber Liquidators. I was having similar concerns, but when pricing things it seemed kind of crazy to spend more for unfinished wood (which is what our pricing looked like). Although it's only been 2 weeks, I love it. I've spilled plenty (flour, milk, even paint- all fine) and I was concerned about things getting stuck between the boards, but it really hasn't been an issue. We have three children 7 and under and are tough on just about everything, so it may be a different story in 10 years, but right now, the floor is stunning despite everything that's already been done on it. My husband is doing our whole kitchen and did the floor in a weekend. Another nice part of the pre-finished is that you can immediatly start using the space. Although our kitchen isn't done, we are using it a lot and it was great to be able to use it again. Good luck!

Doesn't change my opinion either. With site finish you have a lot more control in the finish color with mixing and still have a chance to match... as someone said if it was done recently you might even have the formula, assuming your goal is to still try and match. My question to the good floor contractor is how they plan on handling the transition. In an ideal set up they would selectively remove some old planks and stagger in some new ones, sand flush, then finish, creating a seamless and undetectable transition. Since you don't have interest in refinishing the other spaces I'm unsure of all the options. If possible it'd be nice to not have a clunky threshold piece in the way.

If you have a nail down/staple/cleat or floating wood floor, you are welcome to harvest the hardwood you need from hidden places - like closest in bedrooms, etc. A glue down wood floor probably won't be salvageable for such a job. Removing glue down hardwood is a nightmare to begin with...and then hoping to salvage something later on is almost impossible. In such a prominent area like a kitchen, I would hate to see a bad patch job. In the worst case scenario (I've seen this done with floating laminate and cork) you can remove an entire room (like a small bedroom/den) to get the planks that you need (plus the 1 carton of "extra" for 25 years worth of repairs) and then install a new floor in that small room. It is more expensive that 10 planks, but it is FAR more desirable to have a public space (others can see it) in the right flooring. The small den can always get carpet for the next decade while you work towards your next floor. Good luck.

Those are all good and valid points. To clarify any confusion, solid pre-finished hardwood floors can be refinished if you ever need them to be. Theres a bit more sanding involved to get the factory finish off, but it's done all the time. The floors get sanded down, and the bevels are no longer there, leaving you with a newly site-finished floor. The little grooved edges are called micro-bevels, and the durability of your flooring greatly depends on its installation. Those microlevels won't necessarily cause your flooring to be more susceptible to water damage than a site finished floor, as long as the installation is nice and tight. Yes, your hardwood floors will expand and contract, but every wood does this. It's just a natural characteristic. Quartersawn hardwood is known to have less movement than plain sawn, so if the gaps are a concern, you may want to think about looking into quarter sawn hardwood. Having hardwood in a kitchen is risky regardless if it's prefinished or site-finished. You just need to know, as a homeowner, that certain precautions need to be put into place to ensure the longevity of your floors. (Especially in a kitchen) Another thing I wanted to touch on was the fact that you said you had carpet in an area and tile in another. This would mean (hopefully) that the tile is sitting on either cement board on top of plywood, or there is a cement subfloor where the tile is located. This would have to be addressed when the tile is removed, and you are probably going to need some subfloor prep for your hardwood floors. Most likely additional plywood to bring the elevations of the floors to the same height. Many factory finishes are, in fact, more durable wear layers than a site-finished polyurethane coatings. And that is one of the reasons why many pet owners choose pre-finished floors. As long as you're not choosing a particularly soft wood, a prefinished floor would be just fine for your home. It would make sense, having children and a pet because of the time you'd have to vacate for the finishing process of site-finished floors. It would, overall, be an easier install. The quality and longevity of your hardwood floors depend on the quality of your subfloor, and the quality of the installation, not whether you have site-finished or pre-finished material. Good Luck! Pre-finished vs Site-Finished Hardwood floors