The hardwood flooring market today is growing dynamically in many new and exciting directions. There are hundreds of brands and products available to choose from, both good and bad. We constantly test and explore new options that we can introduce and offer to our clients. And here is a quick explanation of our standard finish offerings.
Oil-Based Polyurethane Finish System
If you’ve ever seen honey oak floors, chances are it was oil-based polyurethane. It was the most popular choice from the 1960s all the way to the early 2000s, and it still is a widely used product for a variety of reasons.
Features
- Warm amber color which darkens over time. Some hate it, some love it
- High finish build – 42%+ solid content
- High grain fill, very little to no texture
- Good durability
- Great water resistance
- Strong Odor and High VOCs ~ 500 *
- 24 hours dry time for light traffic
- 2-4 weeks cure time before are rugs can be put down
- Maintenance coat recommended every 3-7 years for residential clients
- Repairability: C
* If your family has small kids, pregnant women, or people with allergies or sensitivity to chemicals, we do not recommend an oil-based finish system.
One-Component Waterbased Polyurethane Finish System (Regular Traffic)
First introduced in the 1980s waterbased finishes have come a long way and now are superior to oil-based counterparts in almost every aspect. The cut-throat competition ensures continuous research and development with regular product improvements.
Features
- Is clear and stays clear
- Medium finish build – 32%+ solid content.
- Medium grain fill, medium to little texture
- Good durability**
- Good water resistance
- Mild odor and low VOCs – ~200
- 3 hours dry time for light traffic
- 5-7 days cure time before are rugs can be put down
- Maintenance coat recommended every 3-7 years for residential clients
- Repairability: D
Two-Component Waterbased Polyurethane Finish System (High Traffic)
2k finish offer outstanding, top of the line performance and are at the frontier of waterbased finish technologies. An additional hardener component (crosslinker) allows polyurethane molecules (monomers) to create additional connections which result in stronger, more wear-resistant protection film for your floors.
Features
- Is clear and stays clear
- Medium finish build – 32%+ solid content
- Medium grain fill, medium to little texture
- Best durability thanks to increased scuff and wear resistance**
- Good water resistance
- Mild odor and low VOCs – ~200
- 3 hours dry time for light traffic
- 3 days cure time before are rugs can be put down
- Maintenance coat recommended every 3-8 years for residential clients
- Repairability: D
If selected, High Traffic finish will be used for the final two coats. In the case of a four-coat system, a coat of specialty sealer (or stain) will be applied as the first coat to reduce the risk of white line syndrome and enhance film build before applying the finish coats.
This approach ensures maximum durability and finish clarity for your floors.
Hardwax and Penetrating Oils
A relatively new kid on the US market with a lot to offer. Unlike traditional polyurethane products, hardwax oils don’t form a plastic film on the wood surface. Instead, these products penetrate wood fibers and bond with the wood molecules to harden thew wood from the inside. This means that there is no finish to scratch and touch-ups and repairs are much easier to do.
This finish system allows for unlimited layered color options with textured matte look you simply can’t achieve with polyurethane finishes.
Features
- Countless color choices
- Extremely High Solids – 90+%
- Low grain fill, a lot of texture
- Great durability if maintained correctly.
- Good water resistance
- 0 VOC (this is not a typo)
- Low to medium Odor (depending on the brand)
- 24 hours dry time
- 3-7 days cure time
- Maintenance coat recommended every 2-4 years for residential clients. Recoating of only traffic areas only is possible.
- Repairability: B-