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Choosing a finish for
your floor
After fitting and sanding a solid hardwood floor the next step is to seal it. This is done for a number of reasons:
- To enhance the colour and the grain of the wood.
- To help protect the wood from stains and dirty marks.
- To help prevent insect and bug attack.
Lacquer or wax?
When it comes to choosing a finish for your floor you will discover that there are a mind-bending number of brands and products available with a variety of ingredients, visual effects, advantages and price tags.
Floor finishes can be broken down into two main types:
Lacquers / varnishes
These are solvent-based liquids that result in a hard impervious finish. These commonly give the floor a more glossy appearance but with modern manufacturing techniques they are also now available in matt and satin finishes as well. Hard finishes are very durable and in the short term require very little in the way of maintenance. The downside is that these finishes can not normally be touched up and will require a full strip and re-seal in 5-10 years depending on traffic.
Wax / oils
These are finishes made from a blend of natural ingredients that form a soft finish on the floor. This type of finish does not seal the floor as well as a hard lacquer and may scratch more easily but over time the natural oils penetrate deep into the floorboards feeding and protecting the wood. The main advantage of a waxed floor is that it can be continually refreshed and maintained. Waxed floors improve over time.
To make the process easier we have selected three tried and tested products from well established brands.
| Product | Type | Advantages | Disadvantages | Specification |
| Granwax Classical Silk Satin |
Water based polyurethane. (lacquer) |
• Easy to apply. • Rapid drying time. • Non-yellowing formulation. • Low solvent content. • Extremely hardwearing. • Excellent stain resistance. • Low initial maintenance. • Available in silk finish. |
• Cannot be easily repaired. • Will need a re-finishing in 5-10 years. • Solvent based. |
Container size 5ltrs Cover 70M2 / 5 Litres Coats 2 - 4 Cost £58.90 + VAT |
| Granwax Granglaze Satin | Oil based polyurethane. (Oil and lacquer mix) |
• Easy to apply. • Traditional appearance. • Less discolouration than pure oil. • Penetrates deeply like natural oil. • Fast drying time. • Very hardwearing. • Low initial maintenance. • Available in satin finish. • Comparatively less expensive. |
• Cannot be easily repaired. • Will need re-finishing in 5-10 years. • Solvent based. |
Container size 5ltrs Cover 80M2 / 5 ltrs Coats 2-3 Cost £38.90 + VAT |
| Fiddies Hardwax Oil | Wax oil blend. |
• 100% natural. • Allows wood to breathe. • Traditional appearance. • Penetrates deeply. • Easily maintainable. • Improves over time. • Available in small containers. • Excellent coverage. |
• Comparatively more difficult to apply. • Higher initial maintenance. • Does not seal the floor as well. |
Container size 2.5ltrs and 1ltr Cover 100M2 / 5 ltrs Coats 2 Cost 2.5ltrs - £40.52 + VAT 1ltr - £19.60 + VAT |