Many contractors prefer to wait until the end of the job to finish the floor. This eliminates the possibility of a dropped tool or other minor incident marring the finish of the floor during construction. This alone is often all the reason somebody needs to choose on-site finishing.
When you finish the floor after it’s installed, you have many more choices. The customer is able to choose every aspect of their floor, from the species, to the grade, to the color and texture. Only a floor that is finished on-site can give your customer a fully custom look and finish.
Unfinished floors that are sanded and finished on-site also have a slightly different look and feel than factory finish flooring. They fit more flush, as prefinished floorboards usually have bevels on the edges to hide slight discrepancies between boards. But site-sanded floors are more flush with no grooves, so they can be finished to a smooth mirror surface. Some homeowners prefer this look.
Some customers may express concern about the mess of sanding a floor in their home. But today’s sanding equipment is virtually dust-free.
Finally, unfinished flooring is generally a more affordable option than more expensive prefinished floorboards.