Prefinished flooring finishes

I am in the wood floor refinishing business and seem to be noticing more and more that our customers floors are only 5 to 7 years old and look like they are worn out. I know it is a convenience to install prefinished for builders and the weekend DIY but in my opinion for the customer in the long run its going to be a headache and cost more time and money. Just wondering if anyone else out there has anything else to add

 

"Customers floors are only 5 to 7 years old and look like they are worn out." Granted some finishes are better than others, but care and maintenance are crucial, whether onsite or prefinished hardwood flooring. If not properly maintained, both onsite and prefinished floor finishes will wear. Grit is the biggest enemy to hardwood finishes, thus it is extremely important to keep grit off the floor, especially in high traffic areas. Many use improper cleaners that dull and soften finishes. With the proper care, a hardwood finish would never have to be refinished. The Japanese refinish wood floors in their homes about every 200 years. They take their shoes off!

 

The Japanese refinish wood floors in their homes about every 200 years. They take their shoes off!


I like that answer but I am seeing it more and more and mainly on prefinished floors with outrageous guarantees. It is job security for me as I will be refinishing them anyway.

 

There are more and more prefinished floors sold today then just 5 years ago and certainly 10 years ago.

I have seen many more site finished floors needing a total refinish in 3-5 years, then prefinished needing nothing more then a screen and topcoat in the same amount of time.


It all has to do with the floors use, and especially the abuse.
The marketing warranties, do allow false expectations, of indestructable durability.

 

All a manufacturer's prefinished hardwood flooring finish warranty means is that there will be some finish left on the wood to protect it at the end of the warranty period. It does not warranty against improper care and maintenance, dings, dents, use, abuse, etc. There is no warranty with onsite finishes.

 

Interesting. A family member just had to have a prefinished engineered floor completely refinished after 8 years. Everyone that came in thought the floor looked far older. It is a Mannington engineered floor installed on a cement slap. The finish had pitting and started to wear rather quickly but the installer and Mannington started pointing fingers at each other and neither addressed the issue.

 

I install flooring for one of the larger Home Improvment chains I have noticed on Bruce hardwood that they sell it only has a 5 year warranty and the flooring stores that sell the same Bruce wood have a 15 year warranty. These are supposed to be the same grades of wood.