For an unfinished timber such as engineered oak, or a solid timber floor, you will have decided on a colour and coating prior to signing off your job. These are descriptions of what coating you can choose from and how it is applied.
Water Based Polyurethane: Environmentally friendly water-based Polyurethane is a water-borne urethane with a blend of synthetic resins, plasticizers and other film forming ingredients that produces a durable surface that is moisture-resistant. These finishes are clear and non-yellowing and are different sheen levels. They have a milder odor than oil-modified finishes have and they dry in about two to three hours. Water-based Polyurethanes are generally more expensive. Varying brands with three sheen levels to choose from.
If you prefer a colour finish, your floor will be stained by trowelling your colour on to the floor with a water based stain, buffing the colour into the floorboards and coating 3 coats of polyurethane over it.
Oils: If you have an existing native timber floor, please discuss potential Bora infestations with us before deciding to integrate new timber. We can't detect these infestations until the floor has been sanded. You also have the option to go over the top of an existing timber floor or to rip out and replace it entirely.
While oiled floors do present some challenges, such as susceptibility to scratches and dents, these can be easily repaired. Regular annual maintenance helps to build up the patina of the product, enhancing its natural beauty over time. Oiled floors are also easy to clean, provided that you use appropriate cleaning products.
With a wide range of colors available—from natural hues to bold blues—oils offer versatile options for any design. The application process involves troweling the oil onto the floor and then buffing it into the timber fibers, ensuring deep absorption and protection.
Keep in mind that oiled floors require slightly more maintenance than polyurethane-coated floors. We’ll provide you with all the necessary instructions to ensure their longevity, so be sure to pass these on to your cleaning staff.
Solvent based Polyurethane: Moisture-cured Polyurethane is a solvent-base Polyurethane that is more durable and more moisture resistant than other surface finishes. Moisture-cured Polyurethane comes in non-yellowing and in ambering types. Curing of this type of finish is by absorbing minute quantities of moisture vapor from the air, which causes them to dry and harden.
Your solvent based polyurethane floor will be applied the same way as waterbourne colour and coatings. However this type of coating has become far less popular as more environmentally friendly products have been brought to market.
