Your hardwood floors are truly a masterpiece with a beautiful blend of colors and textures. But this masterpiece also needs a guardian who takes care of its beauty, and for that, you need to refinish it. But you have some options to choose from, which kind of finish you want to use.
Choose a finish that gives clear layers of protection for your wooden floor. It’s basically a transparent protective shield that defines the look, feel, and durability of your floor for years to come.
If you are living in New York and searching for hardwood flooring in Brooklyn, it can be a challenge for you. You would have so many choices, but the problem is what to choose that is good for your family’s home. This guide will assist you in selecting the most common types of hardwood floor finishes.
Your Choice Matters Most:
It’s not just a finish or a coat; it’s a crucial decision you have to make.
- Durability: It’s the strength of your floor that determines how many scratches, dents, and wear from foot traffic, pets, and furniture it can resist.
- Appearance: After finishing the final color, whether it’s matte, satin, semi-gloss, or gloss, through which the wood grain is enhanced, it makes the final look of your floor.
- Maintenance: It depends on the material you use for flooring and how easily it can be cleaned.
- Repairability: How easily scratches and damage can be fixed, and how the entire floor can be refinished.
Here are some most popular types of hardwood floor finishes:
Polyurethane Finishes:
This is the most common type of finish that is highly used in residential settings nowadays because, on top of the wood, it creates a hard, plastic-type layer that protects the floor and gives it a beautiful look.
There are two main types of polyurethane finishes.
Water-Based Polyurethane:
- Appearance: This finish gives a crystal clear look, amazing clarity that doesn’t yellow over time. So, you can have light colored wood flooring like maple, ash, or wite-oak.
- Durability: It can resist the daily household chemicals, scratches, and any kind of stains.
- Dry Time and Odor: It can dry very quickly, for about 2-4 hours between coats. It has a very low odor, which is why it’s the best choice for busy families who can’t vacate their home. It’s a major advantage for hardwood flooring in Brooklyn apartments where the ventilation system is limited.
- VOCs: It has Low Volatile Organic Compound levels, which is why it is an eco-friendlier choice.
- Cons: It is expensive than the oil-based polyurethane.
Oil-Based Polyurethane:
- Appearance: It gives a warm, or yellowish tint that deepens with age and adds a classic look to woods like walnut and cherry.
- Durability: It has more resistance to moisture than water-based poly but can show scratches over time.
- Dry Time and Odor: It needs 8-12 hours for drying, as it has a strong lingering odor due to high VOC levels. When the work of finishing starts at your home, you’d better vacate your home for a day or two.
- Cons: It also has some disadvantages, such as a long drying time and strong fumes. It can be a logistical challenge for busy families.
Oil Finishes:
This finish is for those who love the matte look; oil finish is a fantastic choice. It submerges into the wood and gives the realistic feeling of a wood, not plastic.
- Appearance: This imparts the look soft, matte, and very natural look. It’s a very famous and modern style that is aesthetic.
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- Durability: As it soaks the finish, there are fewer chances of chipping or peeling. However, it can get scratches, stains, and watermarks.
- Maintenance: You have to wash it with specific soaps. It needs more upkeep, usually every 1-2 years.
- Cons: As it is an oil finish then it can penetrate liquids if not wiped immediately.
UV-Cured Finishes:
This is the expensive option to choose, as it can be cured quickly by ultraviolet light. This finish is mostly applied in a factory.
- Appearance: It can be perfectly smooth and even. You can control the desired shine level as well.
- Durability: Its resistance towards scratches is unmatchable and ideal for families who have pets and high foot traffic.
- Application and Odor: Surprisingly, it cannot create a mess in your home nor a smell that irritates you. The workers finished it in a factory, and installers just put them down.
- Cons: It has one biggest downsides is that you can not fix it if it gets damaged badly. You have to replace the whole plank or sand and refinish the entire floor.
The Most Important Thing:
It doesn’t matter which finish you would like to choose; the applicator should be professional and trained. A poorly applied finish, even the most expensive one, will fail prematurely. The applicator should use techniques that lead to a proper sanding, dust-free environment, and then you will get a beautiful floor with a long-lasting result.
Ready to Transform Your Space with Timeless Elegance? Floorika Fine hardwood brings the warmth and beauty of premium hardwood flooring in Brooklyn to your home. As we are the local experts in Brooklyn, our specialization is in professional installation, refinishing, and custom care. We only use the finest materials to give your floor an elegant look. So, trust us and call us today.
