Raw vs pre-finished oak in one sentence
Raw oak is finished on site after it is laid, giving a perfectly flat, fully custom floor at the cost of extra time and trades; pre-finished oak is factory-coated, so the floor is ready sooner but the finish and colour are fixed before it arrives.
Both are the same timber underneath. For solid oak, both can be sanded and refinished later in life. The choice is about installation, finish control, programme and budget.
What is raw (unfinished) oak flooring?
Raw oak flooring is bare oak with no factory coating – no oil, lacquer, stain or UV-cured finish. It is usually machined with square (unbevelled) edges, because the installer will sand the whole floor flat once it is laid. After sanding, the floor is coated with the chosen system: oil, hardwax oil or polyurethane, with or without stain.
Pre-finished oak is sanded, coloured and coated in a factory. Because it cannot be sanded flat after laying without removing that finish, pre-finished boards and blocks often have a small bevel on their edges to disguise slight height differences.
Pros and cons
| Raw (unfinished) oak | Pre-finished oak | |
|---|---|---|
| Final flatness | Sanded flat after laying – joints flush | As laid; bevels hide small differences |
| Joints | Finish flows into and seals joints | Joints remain open at the surface |
| Colour choice | Any stain, oil, white-wash or smoked look, decided on site | Fixed by the factory finish |
| Matching | Easy to match stairs, borders and existing floors | Harder to match other elements exactly |
| Time on site | Longer: lay, cure, sand, then coat (several days) | Shorter: usable soon after laying |
| Dust and odour | Sanding dust and coating fumes; rooms vacated | Minimal on site |
| Trades | Installer plus sander/finisher (often the same business) | Installer only |
| Cost | Often lower board price, plus sanding and coating | Higher board price, no site finishing |
| Finish quality | Depends on the finisher's skill | Consistent factory finish |
| Best for | Herringbone, chevron, pattern parquet, custom colours | Fast-track projects, occupied homes, simple layouts |
How site finishing works
On a raw oak floor, finishing is a separate stage that begins once the adhesive has cured. A typical sequence:
- Lay and cure. The parquet is glued down and left for the adhesive maker's cure time.
- Coarse sanding. The floor is sanded across the pattern to flatten blocks and remove marks.
- Fine sanding and edging. Progressively finer grits; edges and corners done with an edger.
- Filling. Gaps and natural features are filled, often with a filler mixed with the floor's own sanding dust.
- Colour (optional). Stain, white-wash or reactive treatment, tested on a sample patch first.
- Coating. Multiple coats of oil, hardwax oil or polyurethane, with light abrasion between coats where required.
- Cure before use. Light foot traffic first; rugs and heavy furniture only after the finish has fully cured.
For the detail on each step see sanding and finishing oak, and to choose a coating read oil vs polyurethane finish.
Why installers like raw oak for herringbone
Herringbone and chevron floors have far more joints than straight boards, and raw oak lets the installer sand every one of them flush. That is the main reason many parquet specialists prefer to lay raw blocks.
- Flatness across hundreds of joints. Even well-machined blocks can sit fractionally proud of each other after gluing; sanding removes this so light falls evenly across the pattern.
- No bevels. A square-edged, sanded herringbone floor reads as one continuous surface, which is the traditional parquet look. Bevels emphasise each block.
- Sealed joints. The finish runs into the joints, helping keep out dirt and spills.
- Borders and feature details. Borders, thresholds and inlays can be sanded level with the field.
- Colour freedom. The same raw oak can become natural, white-washed, grey or smoked oak to suit the brief.
Our herringbone flooring guide covers pattern set-out, and installers interested in supply from Timbo can read about the partner program for installers.
When pre-finished makes more sense
Pre-finished oak suits jobs where time on site, dust and occupancy matter more than a fully custom finish.
- The home is occupied and cannot be vacated for sanding and coating.
- The building programme is tight and other trades follow immediately.
- The layout is simple (straight boards or a small area) and a slight bevel is acceptable.
- A consistent, factory-applied colour is preferred to a site-applied one.
Cost: comparing like with like
Compare raw and pre-finished on a total installed price per m², not the price of the timber alone. Raw solid French oak herringbone (710 × 126 × 18mm) is listed by Melbourne retailers at about $94.99/m² incl. GST (SET Timber Supplies, Melbourne Timber Supplies). Sanding and coating typically adds $30–$70/m² (WhatsTheDamage), and herringbone labour is typically $60–$100/m² for standard layouts or $90–$120+/m² for complex ones (The Flooring Guys).
| Cost line | Raw | Pre-finished |
|---|---|---|
| Timber supply | Yes | Yes (usually higher) |
| Adhesive, moisture barrier, preparation | Yes | Yes |
| Installation labour | Yes | Yes |
| Sanding and coating on site | Yes ($30–$70/m²) | No (until first refinish) |
| Extra days before the room is usable | Yes | Minimal |
Questions to settle before ordering raw oak
Raw oak works best when the finishing plan is agreed before the timber arrives. Settle these points with your installer and client at the quote stage:
- Who sands and finishes? Many parquet installers do both; others bring in a specialist sander and finisher. Agree who is responsible for the final appearance.
- Which finish system? Oil, hardwax oil and polyurethane need different maintenance – make sure the client understands what they are signing up for.
- What colour? If the brief is white-washed, grey or smoked, prepare and approve a test panel on offcuts of the actual timber before the whole floor is done.
- How will the floor be protected? Bare oak marks easily, so plan protection between laying and coating and keep other trades off the floor.
- How long will the rooms be out of use? Allow for adhesive cure, sanding and each coat's drying time; the client may need to vacate.
- Are stairs, landings or existing floors to be matched? Raw timber makes matching far easier – include them in the same finishing stage.
- Is the timber at the right moisture content? Check it and the subfloor before laying; finishing does not fix movement problems.
Raw and pre-finished oak from Timbo
Timbo supplies Prime grade European solid oak parquet, 18mm, tongue and groove – herringbone in 710 × 123 × 18mm and 820 × 123 × 18mm, chevron and pattern parquet. Whether a batch is supplied raw (unfinished) or pre-finished varies – ask Timbo which batches are raw or pre-finished before you quote a job. See the herringbone collection, and request free samples to show clients.
Homeowners: your Timbo partner will confirm the finish and quote the full job. More background on finishes and colours is in our oak flooring guide.
Sources
- SET Timber Supplies – Raw herringbone French oak 710 × 126 × 18mm
- Melbourne Timber Supplies – Raw herringbone French oak 710 × 126 × 18mm
- WhatsTheDamage – Timber floor sanding cost
- The Flooring Guys – Herringbone flooring cost in Australia
Frequently asked questions
What does raw oak flooring mean?
Raw oak flooring is bare, uncoated timber with no oil, lacquer or stain applied. It is installed first and then sanded and finished on site, so the final colour and sheen are chosen for the room.
Is raw oak flooring cheaper than pre-finished?
The boards themselves are often cheaper raw, but you then pay for sanding and coating on site, typically $30–$70/m² incl. GST. Compare the total installed price, not the board price.
Why do installers prefer raw oak for herringbone?
Because a raw floor is sanded flat after laying, tiny height differences between blocks disappear and the joints are sealed by the finish. The installer can also match any colour on site. It suits the many short joints in herringbone and chevron.
Can I walk on raw oak flooring before it is finished?
Only carefully, and not for long. Bare oak marks and stains easily, so it should be protected and finished as soon as the adhesive has cured and the installer is ready.
Does Timbo supply raw or pre-finished oak?
It depends on the batch – ask Timbo which batches are currently raw or pre-finished. Your Timbo partner will confirm the finish for your order.
Can pre-finished oak be sanded later?
Yes. Solid pre-finished oak can be sanded and refinished like any solid floor once its factory finish wears; bevelled edges may remain visible until the floor is sanded below the bevel.