Is It Okay To Leave Hardwood Floors Unfinished?
Nature Wood Floors sells a wide variety of domestic and exotic unfinished wood flooring. After installing such beautiful natural flooring, you may wonder if it is really necessary to apply wood stain and finish products. Is it okay to leave hardwood floors unfinished? The answer is yes, you do not have to finish a hardwood floor! We call these raw wood floors.
Is It Okay To Leave Hardwood Floors Unfinished?
Most finished floors receive a coat of stain, which enhances the natural color of the wood. Then a coat of sealant is applied to form a barrier against dirt and moisture. Cleaning up dirt and water on a finished wood is quick and easy, and a well maintained finished floor will keep its original appearance for years to come.
Do You Have To Finish A Hardwood Floor?
If you walk into a historic building, your eyes will likely be drawn to the character of the old wood floor. There is a certain appeal to floors with an antique patina, imperfections, and stains. These old floors look this way because their original installers long ago lacked access to modern stains and sealants. Instead, these floors were allowed to age and wear naturally. Any homeowner today that wants to duplicate the rustic character of an old floor should leave their floor raw.
Living With Raw Wood Floors
You may be wondering “what can I do with unfinished hardwood floors?” The answer is everything!
“Can you walk on unfinished hardwood floors?”. Of course you can, that’s what floors are for. To safely walk on unfinished hardwood floors, you must ensure they are adequately sanded during installation. Once smooth, a raw wood floor should be no problem for bare feet.
It is important to note that raw floors must be maintained in ways slightly different from a finished wood floor. The most important difference in caring for a raw floor is that you should avoid cleaning the floor using large amounts of water and chemical cleaners. Being unsealed, the water you use to clean with may soak into the boards and cause damage. Raw floors should be dry cleaned only. This means using brooms and vacuums, rather than water and chemical cleaners. If a spill occurs, clean it up quickly with a small amount of water and absorbent towels.
Other than the above sanding and cleaning regiment, your raw floors do not need any other special treatment. You can do anything with unfinished hardwood floors.
One interesting benefit of keeping a wood floor raw is that you could always change your mind later. At any point in its life, you could decide to sand, stain, and seal the floor to convert it to a traditional finished floor.
Contact Us
Now that we have answered the question “Is it okay to leave hardwood floors unfinished?”, you may be wondering “where can I buy unfinished hardwood flooring”? Visit Nature Wood Floors, and let our experts answer any questions that you have about installing and maintaining raw wood floors. We ship anywhere in the United States from our headquarters in Tampa.
