- 10 Jul, 2020
Nothing can compare to the warmth that wood floors bring to spaces.
Flooring, just like everything else in the home, had a very modest start. Only the wealthy were the first to experience the comforts of wood floors. These first wooden floors were hand scraped and literally “sanded”. The workers laid down untreated hand-hewn timbers and used hand tools to scrape flooring before bringing in handfuls of sand that they would rub on the floors until they were as smooth as possible.
In the old days there were several ways that wood flooring was finished and none of them were really effective or long lasting. As a result, the floors had to withstand lots of foot traffic bringing in dirt, sand, and water which that all damaged the floor.
Flooring has changed a lot since then and no more real sand required. Nowadays there are various methods to coat the flooring surface.
Whether you’re looking to protect your newly installed wood floors or refinish that are decades old, the task begins with choosing the right top coat.
As there are many species of hardwood suitable for flooring they all have one thing in common: they need a protective finish to make them durable, last longer and look their best.
The type of finish you choose depends on the look you want for your floor. Whether you’re looking for a glossy finish or something a little more matte, hardwood top coatings provide many options.
1. Natural Oil
Natural oils penetrate deeply, strengthen the hardwood floors internally, and increase durability. It absorbs into the wood, creating a waterproof seal.
Natural oils enhance the inborn beauty of the hardwood floors and hide scratches, scuffs and dirt. Regular damage dents can be repaired easily, providing a huge benefit over other types of finishes.
Natural oil finishing provides natural glow, high durability, easy application and easy maintenance.
With proper care and maintenance, you will not have to repair floors frequently.
2. Lacquered
A lacquered finish provides a glossy (can be matte too), smooth look and feel to the wood floors. The varnished coating is sitting on the surface of the wood increasing its external durability and doesn’t absorb in the wood as oil. Lacquered floors are in most cases more water resistant than oil-coated floors.
However, despite the fact that lacquered floorings require low maintenance, they are prone to scratching. The only disadvantages of lacquered floors is the need to sand the entire floor surface in the case only some areas are damaged or scratched.
3. Hardwax oil
Hardwax Oil is an oil based finish that penetrate in wood, protecting it below the surface, unlike lacquers that “sit” on top of the wood; lightly colors and forms a protective film on the surface of the wood. Finished wood will show water stains. It has a soft matte gloss, much like that of natural wood. Hardwax oil finish can be easily renovated and allows quick restoration of small areas without repair-marks.
Which finish will you choose?