Pre-Finished Doors vs Unfinished Doors
Oak doors come in three states. An unfinished door is bare wood that you seal yourself after buying. A primed door has a base coat of primer on it, ready for you to paint. A prefinished, or fully finished, door arrives already sealed at the factory and ready to hang. Which one suits you comes down to how you want the door to look, how much of the finishing you want to do, and how quickly you need it up.
What "Unfinished" Means
An unfinished oak door is supplied as bare, untreated wood. Before it goes into daily use it has to be sealed, because bare oak takes in moisture and marks easily, and most makers ask that you finish the door soon after delivery to keep the guarantee, so check the wording on the product page for the exact requirement.
The upside is control. You choose the finish and the shade, so you can match the door to an existing floor, to other doors, or to the woodwork in the room, and you keep the natural look of oak under a clear oil. You do the work, though: a light sand, then a clear hardwax oil on every face and edge. Our guide to how to oil an oak door covers the method, and you can browse the range of unfinished internal oak doors to see what is on offer.
What "Prefinished" Means and What the Factory Finish Is
A prefinished door, also called fully finished, arrives already sealed and ready to hang. The finish is applied under controlled factory conditions, so it is even and consistent from door to door, which matters when you are fitting several in one house. On our prefinished oak doors that finish is a clear hardwax oil, not a paint or a varnish, so the door keeps its natural oak look.
The trade-off is less choice of shade, and a little more for the finishing already done, but the door is ready the day it arrives, with only the cut edges to reseal after trimming. You can see the finished designs in our prefinished oak internal doors.
White Primed: the Third Option
Between the two sits the primed door. A primed door has a white base coat already on it, ready for you to paint in your own colour, so the preparation is done but the final colour is yours. It suits a scheme where the doors are meant to be painted rather than showing the oak grain.
It is the least common of the three for oak, since most people who choose an oak door want the oak on show, but it is worth knowing the option exists when you weigh up how much of the finishing you want to take on.
Prefinished vs Unfinished: Which to Choose
The right choice depends on your time, your confidence with a brush, and how closely the doors need to match each other and the rest of the room.
| Unfinished | Prefinished | |
|---|---|---|
| Ready to hang | After you seal it | Straight away |
| Finish and shade | Your choice | Set at the factory (clear oil) |
| Matching several doors | Down to your application | Consistent across the set |
| Work involved | Sand and oil every face | Only the cut edges to reseal |
| Best if | You want a specific shade or the hands-on job | You want it up quickly with an even finish |
There is no wrong answer. If you are fitting a run of door sets and want them identical with no work on site, prefinished is the easy route. If you want a particular shade, or the door needs to match older joinery, an unfinished door you oil yourself gives you that control. For the finishes themselves and which suits which door, see our guide to the best finish for internal oak doors.
The In-House Oiling Service
There is a middle path if you like the idea of a solid oak door finished in oil but not the finishing work. Sixteen of our solid oak door designs can be ordered ready-oiled through our in-house oiling service, so the door reaches you sealed with a clear hardwax oil, done properly, without you lifting a brush.
You get the natural oiled-oak look of a door you would have finished yourself, with none of the drying time or mess, and the same easy upkeep afterwards. The designs offered this way sit among the prefinished doors shown above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it worth buying prefinished doors?
If you want the doors up quickly and looking even across a set, yes: a prefinished door is sealed at the factory and ready to hang, with only the cut edges to reseal. If you want a specific shade or enjoy the finishing, an unfinished door gives you more control.
Should I get finished or unfinished doors?
It comes down to time and the look you want. Prefinished is quick and consistent; unfinished lets you choose the finish and match existing woodwork, at the cost of doing the work yourself.
Do prefinished doors need painting?
No. A prefinished oak door is already sealed with a clear oil and is meant to show the oak, not be painted. If you want a painted door, start from a primed door instead.
Are internal doors sold ready-hung?
In the UK, doors are sold as door leaves rather than prehung in a frame, so you fit the door to your own lining or frame whichever finish you choose.
Related Reads
| Choosing the right oak door oil | Picking the right oil, sheen and shade for an unfinished door. |
| How to seal oak veneer doors | Sealing a veneer door, and the mistakes to avoid. |
