Importance of Wood Floor Finishes in Silver Spring, MD

Wood floor finishing adds the perfect touch to your wood flooring to make it truly look beautiful – while also making it more scratch resistant and durable. No matter what type of wood flooring you have (or plan to install), there is a wood floor finish perfect for it.

Types of Wood Floor Finishes

There are a number of options available when it comes to wood floor finishes, and these options can be broken down into two types:

Oil based finishes

•    Moisture-resistant finish: this type of polyurethane is extremely durable and offers superior moisture resistance. Since it can be difficult to apply, this type of wood floor finish is best left to the professionals!

•    Oil-modified finish: oil-based urethane is a very common wood floor stain and can make even old wood floors look new and shiny.

•    Acid cure finish: Fast-drying and durable, acid cure urethane is very effective at protecting your wood floors!

•    Aluminum oxide finish: the newest type of wood floor finish offers superior protection. Aluminum oxide wood floor finishes are extremely durable and can help your flooring resist scratches.

Water based finishes

•    Water-based finish: water-based urethane dries by water evaporation and is clear (also non-yellowing!). This type of finish dries relatively quickly (in two or three hours).

It doesn’t matter if you use an oil-based finish or water-based wood floor finish – your floor will be better protected. The main differences between these types of finishes are the odor (water-based finishes have a much milder odor) and the dry time. Oil-based wood floor finishes require fewer coats but take longer to dry.

Protect Your Wood Floors

There are, of course, other options for finishing your wood floors. Wax, for instance, is one of the oldest finishes and offers a number of advantages. It is relatively affordable (compared to some other wood floor finishes), dries quickly, is easy to repair and will last forever (with the right care!).

While a wood floor finish can add extra protection against scratching and keep your floors from turning dull quickly, there are certain things that you just can’t expect from wood floor finishes, including protection from:

•    Dust
•    Indentations
•    Cracks
•    Inconsistencies in the color or grain

Wood Floor Finish & Stain Repair

If you see a dark spot or line or need to repair your wood floor finish in any way, be cautious – in fact, it’s best to let your professional flooring company fix it. If you want to repair it yourself, though, we recommend that you at least call your flooring company and ask which repair method will work best for the type of floor and type of finish you have. There are a number of different methods, and we want to make sure you choose the one that is best for your floors and won’t damage them further!

Wood floor finishes can truly protect your wood floors – and make them look more beautiful for years and years. Call Elegant Floor Service today to apply a finishing coat to the wood floors in your Maryland, Washington, DC or Virginia home!

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