When it comes Hardwood flooring surface finishes, there are numerous good choices that are available to amplify the wood grain but also help safeguard the flooring. Whether you’re looking for a shiny, high-gloss finish or something a little more matte, wood flooring top coatings provide plenty of options:
Water-Based Polyurethane: Arguably the most popular surface finish for hardwood flooring, water-based polyurethane provides a clear finish and has the traditional hardwood look and feel. Traditionally, this smooth, glistening finish gives solid and engineered hardwood flooring the typical wet look, generally by using multiple coats of high-gloss polyurethane. What’s important to know if that water-based polyurethane finishes also come in satin and semigloss.
Oil Sealer: Oil sealer or penetrating oil sealer is a smart play if you’ve decided on finishing your hardwood floors yourself. It’s fairly straightforward for DIYers to apply. It doesn’t dry as hard as the polyurethane mentioned above, but the penetrating process brings out grain patterns and magnifies the color of the wood. This finish also allows for touch ups later on. Which may come in handy as DIYer.
Hard-Wax Oil: If you desire a natural finish that’s not difficult to apply, hard-wax oil offers a warm look. It also provides a perfect protection. Although wax treatments for hardwood maybe considered an old-school technology, they’re growing in popularity again. It’s terrific for those who want a low gloos finish that’s easy to touch up.
Acid-Cured or Swedish Finish: Also called a Swedish finish, acid-cured finishes are exceptionally long-lasting — more so than polyurethane. This type of finish is perfect for smooth-textured flooring and exotic woods that need extra protection. However, acid-cured finishes have high toxicity levels during the curing process. Proceed with caution as toxicity may remain possibly from three days to an 30 days or more month, depending on the your climates humidity.
Aluminum Oxide: The top of the-top-of-the-line durable finish is aluminum oxide; it can last up to up to 25 years. This is a great benefit for engineered hardwood floors because they often have a thinner veneer that doesn’t lend itself to sanding and refinishing.
Prefinished hardwood planks are your only option if you choose hardwood with an aluminum oxide finish. This limitation is due to the application and drying equipment used in the finishing process. This makes installation faster than traditional on-site sanding and finishing.
When you’re ready to install hardwood flooring in your home, consider the finishes described above carefully. Ultimately, the desired surface finish you choose for your flooring should not only complement your home style but your lifestyle as well.
And if you hire Elegant Floors for your hardwood flooring project(s), they will not only provide you the with best wood flooring options, i.e., species, but they’ll advise you about the various finishes for your wood flooring preference as well as what’s best suited for your room’s look, furnishings and lighting
Elegant Floors is a 25-year family run businesses. They’re proud to take great care of all the hardwood flooring needs’ of homeowners throughout the entire South Bay area such as Sunnyvale, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Palo Alto, Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos and San Jose.
Call us about hardwood flooring sales, installation, repairs and refinishing.
For Questions & Quotes Ask for Teri or Scott : (408) 773-8624
https://elegant-floors.com/ | elegantfloors@pacbell.com
Different finishes…..
… for different wood species plus what is the intrinsic look for each room’s hardwood flooring.
