Choosing a finish that works with your Style
Wood flooring is an incredibly classic and natural addition to any home. Not only does it add to your organic style, it also provides you with flooring that’s versatile and durable. Traditional wood flooring can last indefinitely depending on how thick the actual flooring is. You can sand it up to 10 times during the life of the flooring, and each of these times can add an additional decade. Whether you’re choosing to put in new wood flooring or you are refinishing older floors, it’s definitely worth the time and trouble. Not only does wood flooring increase the value of your home, it also adds a certain sophistication that you just can’t get from anything else. Fortunately would flooring will come in a huge variety of different colors and styles. You can use the thickness of the planks to determine exactly how the room is going to flow, and you can choose from a huge variety of different finishes.
A finish is the coating that goes on top of the flooring that can determine exactly what colors it reflects. Some people choose a clear finish to show off the natural beauty of the wood. Wood flooring is as old as the concept of our homes themselves. Original pioneers and settlers used the resources around them to create the homes that they wanted. This resulted in a rough-hewn wood floor. This idea became a household staple when wood as recognized as a usable and durable alternative to dirt floors. Of course, the original settlers didn’t finish their floors. The wood that they used came from older trees surrounding their property. Because these trees were older, the wood was already seasoned and didn’t require the same level of care that it does today.
When choosing a finish for your floor, it’s extremely important to find something that gels with your overall interior design. You don’t want something that’s going to completely clash with what you have planned, and it needs to be something you’re going to be happy with for a long time. When choosing wood flooring supplies, it’s imperative that you go through a company that’s both professional and experienced. Make sure that they have a huge variety of different finishes available, and that they understand exactly how to apply them. These are just a few of the finishes you can consider:
Polyurethane
Polyurethane is incredibly popular for showing off your floor’s natural look. If you’re going with an oil based poly, be prepared for it to have a slightly yellow tint when it finally dries. If you’re going to go with a water based poly, then it’s going to be completely clear and this can actually showcase the wood grain. If you have naturally beautiful floors, than why cover it up?
Acid Cured
This is incredibly popular for higher-end floors and for more exotic woods. An acid cured floor must be professionally applied in order to be properly done. It’s also one method that can create highly toxic fumes, and you may have to leave your home for up to 2 weeks while it dries. Even if this takes longer, it’s definitely worth the wait.
Shellac
If you’re dealing with a particularly old home, be prepared to deal with shellac. In order to check for this, drip a few drops of water into an area and see if that turns white. If it does, then this is more than likely been finished with shellac. If a floor’s been finished with shellac, there’s a very good chance that you’ll be unable to finish it with any alternative. It’s extremely important to figure this out early on in the refinishing process.