Be on Top of Hardwood Flooring Trends with the Right Finish
Are you planning to install new hardwood flooring or remodel your current floor? Each species of hardwood has its unique natural charms, colour, and texture. However, whether you are refinishing existing floors or laying down new planks, choosing the proper finish is essential.
Doing so depends on a lot of factors, including durability, appearance, and maintenance. You may also want to think about hardwood flooring trends. But protection from daily wear is the key deciding factor.
Keep reading to find out which finish is best for your hardwood floor.
Choosing the Best Hardwood Flooring Finish
There are many types of hardwood flooring finishes available, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Not sure how to choose the right finish for your home? Here, we outline the factors that will help you make the best choice.
1. Durability
The durability of the finish is critical to your flooring’s longevity. Can it withstand wear and tear? Floors face a lot of foot traffic from children and pets and must stand up to spills and stains. The more durable the finish, the longer it will last and the less often it will need to be reapplied.
Oil-based polyurethane finishes are a popular choice among homeowners for hardwood floors because they are extremely durable and resistant to scratches and scuffs. As a result, they are ideal for high-traffic areas.
Water-based polyurethane finishes are less durable and more expensive.
Aluminum oxide is the hardest, longest-lasting type of hardwood flooring finish, with supreme wear protection. Its mineral coating can protect your floors from scratches, fading, water damage, scuffs, and more for up to 25 years. You’ll find it at every gloss level, to create as much or as little shine as you want. This shine can be maintained for a long time with regular buffing, cleaning, and maintenance.
When considering durability, you can also select a ceramic-bonded finish. This combines a tough ceramic material with a clear topcoat. Because of the ceramic particles, a strong, durable, scratch and scuff-resistant barrier is formed.
2. Appearance
When talking about the appearance of your hardwood flooring’s finish, you must consider its sheens, from high gloss to matte; its colour; and its grain pattern.
A high-gloss finish creates an elegant, formal look but also allows for more noticeable scratch marks and scuffs.
A matte finish creates a more casual, rustic look. This matte, lower-gloss look is better for people with poor or low vision, as high-gloss surfaces reflect more light, which can be harder for them to see. This is especially true for steps or transitions between floors.
Oil-based polyurethane offers a high-gloss finish, while water-based polyurethane gives a more natural, low-gloss finish.
When it comes to appearance, some finishes change the natural colour of your hardwood floors. For example, a clear finish can retain the natural colour of the wood, while a tinted finish will change the colour. So be attentive to select the one that complements and enhances the natural colour of your hardwood floor.
Don’t forget about the grain patterns of the hardwood. If you want to enhance it, choose a penetrating oil finish; if you want to hide it, go for an acrylic-impregnated finish.
3. Maintenance
Consider finishes that require less maintenance if you are unwilling to put much time and effort into maintaining the one you choose.
For example, water-based polyurethane takes less time to dry and is easier to clean than oil-based polyurethane. Also, they don’t yellow over time, while oil-based ones require frequent reapplication and need to be cleaned with solvents. Water-based finishes are also less toxic and more environmentally friendly.
Hard-wax oil and ceramic-bonded finishes are also easy to maintain and clean and don’t require frequent reapplication.
The ideal finish for your hardwood floors will be determined by your interior design and personal style preferences. The right finish will not only perform the way you want but provide a look you’ll be happy with for many years to come. Consider the above-mentioned factors to choose your preferred finish. However, if you need guidance, contact experts from Amazon Hardwood!