An important aspect which if correctly decided may add beauty and value to your wooden floor. Deciding on the right finish for your wood flooring is a really important part of your flooring decision-making process. Wood flooring finishes come in a whole range of options, such as oiled or lacquered.
Posted on8 Years ago
by
Alin Cristescu
An important aspect which if correctly decided may add beauty and value to your wooden floor.
But first, there is an adjacent question which I was asked many times: the new wooden floor should be supplied already sealed (oil / lacquer) or it should be sealed after the installation process?
Prefinished
Durability - highly durable, usually, if supplied by reputable show-room which sources the wood from certified importers or manufacturers. When buying it is recommended to ask these details;
Colour - most of the time the desired colour may be found in one of the chosen show-rooms;
Variations (dark / light boards) - occur most of the time as each board is sealed individually. Site finished
Durability - guaranteed as you are in control of choosing the best for your floor. We use the best existing oil at this moment made by Osmo;
Colour - you have the freedom to choose the preferred one as well as the tone and shade;
Variations (dark / light boards) - minimum, having the floor sealed as a whole; minor one may occur due to grains variations;
Now, about oil and lacquer the next comparison chart was made to help you deciding the best. As a mention when referring to lacquer also the varnish is meant too as it has similar caracteristics.
Oil
Appearance - Oil finishes will be soaked into the grains leaving visible the natural feel and look of the wood;
Durability - high for the normal wear in your home but not recommended in commercial or high traffic areas;
Scratches - the area should be re-oiled with a clean lint free cloth (have a spare one to wipe the surplus in case of applying to much). So in minutes the scratches are gone and the sanding is postponed;
Maintenance - once 1.5 - 2 years the oil has to be replenished. Prior to this the floor has to be properly cleaned / vacuumed. This is a simple DIY job, done with lint free cloths. No sanding should be required unless there are highly visible dents or damages;
Life span - more than 50 years for a wooden floor with 6mm ware layer (or above the tongue level), having in mind the maintenance process and the possibility of sanding every 10 years or more;
Conclusion - We definitely recommend oiled finishes for your home. Lacquer
Appearance - Lacquer finishes will remain over the grains acting as a screen which covers the natural look of the wood;
Durability - high for the normal wear in your home. Highly recommended in commercial or high traffic areas;
Scratches - This is the huge downside of the lacquer: there aren't viable solutions for this cases as the lacquer chips off and any attempt to repair the area will show. The floor has to be sanded, all.
Maintenance - usually every 5 years the lacquer should be renewed and for this a deep sanding is required. This shortens the life span of your floor as with each strong sanding you loose board thickness.
Life span - less than 20 years for a wooden floor with 6mm ware layer (or above the tongue level), having in mind the maintenance process;
Conclusion - We definitely recommend lacquered finishes for commercial area.
