Timber Floor Finishes Comparison

Learn how to choose floor coverings for your house.

Timber floor finishes comparison.

Oil based polyurethane offers middle of the road durability at an affordable price. Living room hallway whole house and more. Using the best wood floor finish is the only way to ensure they will look shiny and new for a long time to come. First let s make the distinction between solid hardwood and engineered hardwood solid hardwood is exactly what it says it is a solid plank of wood whilst engineered hardwood is a composite product consisting of an upper layer of hardwood that is adhered onto layers of.

After that oil modified conversion varnish and tung oil or shellac coatings were also popular. Wax is the time tested old fashioned way to refinish wood floors and was routinely used before polyurethanes became available in the 1970s. The most popular hardwood floor finishes. This is a great choice for high end homes exotic wood or floors with intricate inlay designs.

Both paste and liquid versions are making a comeback with homeowners who want a mellow low sheen look and with those who prefer to use natural products with low vocs and toxicity. Whether you re looking for a shiny high gloss finish or something a little more matte wood flooring top coatings provide plenty of options. Best when professionally applied acid cured finishes are the most durable and expensive of all hardwood floor finishes. Low voc environmentally friendly waterbase floor finishes lighten up the overall appearance of the timber.

Homeadvisor s best flooring types guide reviews all indoor flooring materials for every room. This extremely durable finish is a great choice for high traffic areas or homes with children and dogs. Hardwood flooring is available with a number of distinct surface finishes that not only enhance the wood grain but also help protect the floor. For this reason a final coat of wax often tops the oil for extra protection.

Buying the best wood floor finish. As a rule buying wooden floors is a costly investment but that is because they are also the most durable flooring option. Unlike most other hardwood floor finishes penetrating oils don t leave a hard shell on top of the wood. According to hardwood floors magazine s state of the wood flooring industry 2016.

The cheapest of the modern finishes this type adds a warm glow to popular wood flooring options like white oak or maple. For example brush box will have an insipid colour tone whilst blackbutt will have a muted colour over its various colouring within its species. Best hardwood floor finish for high traffic. As the coating oxidizes with age and exposure to uv light the timber colour will lighten up.

Solid hardwood vs engineered hardwood consider the best type of hardwood flooring depending on where you are using it.