In Blog, Wood flooring advice

The final step to your new gorgeous hardwood floors is choosing the right finish. We offer our clients the leading floor finishes from top brands. And, we are also seeing an increase in demand for eco-friendly water-based polyurethanes, oil-modified polyurethanes and zero-VOC penetrating oil finishes. And, finally, we also offer UV-Cured floor finishes for commercial spaces.

Deciding on a Floor Finish

Water-based floor finish

A water-based finish is the most environmentally friendly floor finish in the market.

How the floor is going to be used will help you decide on the best floor finish. Of course, you also want to take into consideration the environmental factors, as well as how it will protect your hardwood floors. For commercial spaces, we recommend the UV-Cured floor finish for industrial strength protection, as well as, a shorter wait time.

UV-Cured Floor Finishes

Commercial floors can’t afford to be out of commission for very long. We never rush a flooring job, but with a UV-Cured floor finish, they will be instantly cured and ready for immediate use. And, it’s 40% harder than our best conventional two-component, water-based floor finish.

Water-Based Polyurethanes

A water-based polyurethane is both environmentally friendly and allows for your hardwood floors to show off their natural beauty. Water-based floor finishes tend to fall more towards a matte finish rather than a glossy one, so keep that in mind when you choose.

The lifespan of water-based finishes can fall a little short compared to oil-based finishes. But, this is simply due to the fact that it is a cleaner product, and doesn’t have the VOC that gives it extended life. However, this is a small price to pay for making an environmentally friendly choice.

Besides the environmental benefits, water-based wood flooring finishes will dry faster, and won’t have as strong of an odor as oil finishes.

Oil-based Polyurethanes

Benefits of oil-based floor finishes

An oil-based floor finish will last longer and give your floors a more vibrant tone.

If you go for oil-based floor finishes, you’re going to get a more glossy and richer tone on your floors. Over time, oil-based polyurethanes may deepen the colors of your flooring, but this can add to the beauty of your floors.

Oil-based finishes may also take a little longer to dry, but they tend to cost a bit less and last a lot longer before needing to be refinished.

Best of Both Worlds

It’s not often that you can get the best of both worlds, but with a zero-VOC penetrating oil finish, you can get all the benefits of an oil-based finish, with the environmental benefits of water-based finishes!

Hardwood Flooring Contractors in Denver

To understand the different floor finishes and what is best for your hardwood floors, schedule a free consultation with a flooring expert in Denver or Evergreen.