I'd like to jump right in with this blog and talk about not only the unfinished solid flooring format, but also a particular species that makes a great unfinished flooring candidate: Santos Mahogany. But before we get into the particulars of unfinished Santos Mahogany flooring, let's talk about the unfinished flooring format and how it differs from formats like prefinished and engineered flooring.
The first, and most obvious, difference between unfinished flooring and engineered or prefinished is... the finish! Unfinished doesn't have one, as they name might have tipped you off to. This means that once the floor is installed, you sand and finish it on site. Why choose this format instead of prefinished or engineered? First of all, it's much cheaper. Prefinished and engineered flooring are typically much more expensive than unfinished flooring. However, this cost is generally equalized if you are having a contractor install your floor, because they will charge you not only for the installation, but also the labor for sanding and finishing the floor. If you're a do-it-yourself kind of person, you can save a lot of money installing and finishing your own floor, as the only additional cost is the finish materials and potentially the necessary tools.
So what makes Santos Mahogany a great candidate for unfinished flooring? Santos Mahogany is gorgeous, for one. This fact makes it in very high demand, and therefore supply can often times run low, particularly on prefinished and engineered Santos. Unfinished flooring is often not quite as in demand with the common consumer because it requires additional installation labor. This being the case, unfinished Santos Mahogany flooring is often available when it has already sold out in the prefinished and engineered formats. Also, and this brings up a universal benefit of all prefinished flooring, unfinished flooring doesn't feature a micro bevel like prefinished flooring or engineered flooring. This means you can have a truly "perfect floor" with square edges.
Here are some other details on Santos Mahogany. Definitely take some time to check it out, it is unquestionably one of the most beautiful and durable hardwoods.
Santos Mahogany Technical Information
Janka Hardness Rating: 2,200 lbs.
Density: 900 kg/m3
Modulus of Rupture: 25,400 psi
Modulus of Elasticity: 2,060 psi
