Timeline for staining floors

Alex asks:

Our home is new construction. The pine wood floors are installed throughout. My wife is concerned that they are staining the floors AFTER all the cabinets are installed. I thought this was normal, but she seems to think the finish would be more even if the floors were stained prior to the cabinets being installed.

Thoughts? Advice?

Thanks!

Jake's answer:

Alex,

In our area, typically on new homes the unfinished wood floor is installed just after the drywall is completed. It is not finished at this time. After the wood floors are installed, the trim and cabinets are installed, then they are painted/stained. The finish of the wood floors is usually one of the last items to be completed.  

One of the primary reasons for this is to minimize any damage that may occur after the finish floor is applied. There is usually a lot of construction activity that takes place in the new home and it is likely that the floors will get scratched. In some rare instances the wood floors are fished immediately following their installation.  I would not suggest this method on a new home. It's too risky.  

I hope this helps.  

Jake