Choosing the Right Surface Finish for Your Hardwood Floors

Once you've decided on a hardwood floor that fits your home and lifestyle, it's important to choose a finish for your floor that will accentuate your choice and give it lasting beauty. Surface finishes are very popular today because they are durable, water-resistant and require minimal maintenance. Surface finishes are blends of synthetic resins. These finishes most often referred to as urethanes or polyurethane's remain on the surface of the wood and form a protective coating. They are generally available in high-gloss, semi-gloss, satin and matte. Types of surface finishes include:

Oil-modified urethane: This is generally the most common surface finish and is easy to apply. It is a petroleum base with a blend of synthetic resins, plasticizers and other film forming ingredients that produces a durable surface that is moisture-resistant. It is a solvent-base polyurethane that dries in about eight hours. This type of finish ambers with age and comes in different sheen levels.

Moisture-cured urethane: Moisture-cured urethane is a solvent-base polyurethane that is more durable and more moisture resistant than other surface finishes. It comes in non-yellowing and ambering types and is generally available in satin or gloss. These finishes are extremely difficult to apply, have a strong odor and are best left to the professional. Curing of this type of finish is by absorbing minute quantities of moisture vapor from the air, which causes them to dry and harden. The curing process is very dependant on relative humidity.

Water-based urethane: Water-based urethane is a water-borne urethane with a blend of synthetic resins, plasticizers and other film forming ingredients that produces a durable surface that is moisture-resistant. These finishes are clear and non-yellowing and have different sheen levels. They also have a milder odor than oil-modified finishes have and they dry in about two to three hours. Water-based urethanes are generally more expensive.

Conversion-Varnish Sealers (Swedish Finishes): Conversion varnish sealers are two-component acid-curing, alcohol-based sealers. Because of their origin, conversion varnish sealers are often referred to as Swedish finishes. The primary disadvantage of the Swedish finish is the powerful and unpleasant odor.

Penetrating Sealers: These sealers are spread on the floor and allowed to penetrate and are solvent based. The excess sealer is removed with rags or buffed in with synthetic or steel wool pads. This type of finish often has a color and can be used to stain and seal the wood floor. Penetrating Oil Sealers are made from Tung or linseed oil, with additives that improve drying and hardness.

Paste Wax: The oldest surface finish and in some ways the best, wax is the easiest to apply, least expensive, fastest drying, easiest to repair, and with proper care will survive forever. Wax over a penetrating stain, and the system is in the wood so you wear the wood, not the finish. Wax is spread in thin coats for a surface protection after the stain and/or sealer is applied, and then buffed to the desired sheen.

Any of these finishes will turn your hardwood floors into the masterpiece that you desire. It's important to choose a finish that is appropriate for your lifestyle and for the wood that you've chosen, to ensure its lasting beauty and durability.