Finish Old Wood Floors Polyurethane Vs Oil Vs Wax

Polyurethane just when you think you ve completed a flooring project you realize you have one more thing to think about.

Finish old wood floors polyurethane vs oil vs wax.

The difference oiled finish hardwood floors matte finish and easy to maintain. Polyurethane finish systems are applied on top of a wood floor. Oil finished floors are excellent for bringing out the natural beauty of your selected wood specie. Oil finish permeates the wood fortifying and sealing each fiber.

The water based versions water mixed with a resin are more environmentally friendly as they don t require the same solvents. Both are durable and good looking but there are differences. Finishes ensure that all the hard work and time you ve put into a hardwood floor shows over time and after feet paws claws and shoes track over them endlessly. The oil based versions are a mix of a wood oil and a synthetic resin such as polyurethane.

The key difference between penetrating oil and polyurethane is how the finish interacts with the hardwood floor. Polyurethane has been used since the 1970s when it took over in popularity from the natural finishes of oil and wax. Yet the cells of the wood are not closed off so the flooring is permitted to breathe. Unlike most other hardwood floor finishes penetrating oils don t leave a hard shell on top of the wood.

On the other hand penetrating oil actually incorporates itself into the wood. This creates a wear layer that people pets and furniture stand on top of. The two methods of finishing really stem from two different approaches to wood. In keeping with the long standing european tradition all atelier floors are finished with an all natural non toxic hard wax oil for a lasting protection and unparalleled elegance.

The best candidate for waxing is a hardwood floor that was previously treated with a penetrating wood sealer lacquer varnish shellac or oil as wax can bolster the protective properties of. We ll help you decide. After 60 years in the wood flooring industry garrison has learned a thing or two about finishes. One of the chief benefits of hard wax oil finishes is that like a comfortable old leather chair the finished flooring gains more character and gets much better with age a wax finish penetrates the wood and acts as a barrier against stains and moisture.

While polyurethane finishes have a few positive things going for them at the end of the day nothing quite compares to hard wax oil finishes. Though we do offer unfinished hardwood flooring as well prefinished floors are truly our forte.