Finishing options

Moisture cured urethane
A traditional solvent based polyurethane lacquer that will not yellow or amber with age, and is available in matt, satin and gloss. Generally these products are only available to trade wood flooring professionals.

Oil modified urethane
A solvent based polyurethane product that will amber with age but is easy to apply and will dry overnight to form a highly durable finish.

Penetrating oils and waxes
This finish works by penetrating into the open pores of the wood instead of sitting on the surface. It normally dries within a few hours or overnight but then takes several days to fully cure.

Once cured it becomes hard and provides protection and durability from within. The presence of the wax in a hardwax oil finish provides durability and the amount of wax determines the level of sheen - the more wax the higher the sheen, but too much wax can lower 'slip resistance'.

Specific cleaners designed for use with oil based and wax oil based floors must always be used for cleaning and maintenance.Some are also available with suspended pigment to provide a range of oil based coloured stain finishes. These usually contain solvents to aid the drying process although low and solvent free versions are now becoming available.

Surface lacquers
These lacquers, commonly called urethane or polyurethane finishes, coat the top of the surface of the wood. Surface finishes are still relatively common because they provide a very durable, water resistant surface and require very little in the way of maintenance. Generally these are available in gloss, satin and matt finishes. If you require a gloss or high sheen finish then we recommend a high gloss lacquer as it very difficult to get a high level of sheen with oil and wax oil based products.

Water based urethane
These finishes dry by evaporation, and in general are clear products not prone to 'yellowing' with time. Some are also available with suspended pigment in them to provide a range of coloured based all in one stain finishes.

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