How to Choose a Floor Finish
Wood floors are finished when new houses are first built, and new owners of an old house often choose to refinish the floors as well. Choosing a finish can be somewhat difficult as the finish determines the protection level for the wood floors and how the floors will look. Consider several factors to when picking out a floor finish, and follow several easy steps to ensure that floors end up looking fresh. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Decide how much protection the floor needs. According to the National Wood Flooring Association, harder woods (like oak and some species of maple) will need less protection than softer woods like koa. The use of the room also determines how much protection the floor will need. If it is a bedroom in which furniture will not be moved around much and people will usually be barefoot, the floor will have less wear than floors in a hallway or children's playroom. Think about the level of protection you want for the floor, so it will be easy to tell an expert in a finish store what will be expected of the finish.
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Decide on a desired level of gloss. Less glossy finishes can give more of an antique look, and high gloss finishes can give a more formal look.
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Think about stain. Decide if the wood is going to be stained to add color, or if the natural wood color is a good choice for the room. Consider how the color of the floor will match the furniture and wall colors. Marthastewart.com warns that darker stains show scratches more easily than lighter stains, so it may not be good for floors that will take a beating to be too dark. Marthastewart.com also suggests that darker floors can provide a nice dramatic look and can make ceilings look higher.
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Take a sample, or multiple samples, of the same wood used for the flooring into a store that carries a variety of wood finishes. Marthastewart.com recommends choosing a store that offers custom mixes of colors, so you can be sure the best finish will be custom created for the floor if it does not already exist in stock.
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Find a sales representative and tell him or her what you have decided on for finish as far as level of protection, gloss and color. Also make sure he or she knows what kind of wood the floor is made from.
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Have the sales representative paint several test patches on the wood sample. Make sure to get several test patches that are lighter and darker than the color that immediately looks best because the lighting in the store may be different than the lighting in the room being finished.
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Take the samples home, and decide what looks best in the room. See which finish actually looks best in the lighting of the room and next to the furniture and wall paint.
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Tips & Warnings
Some wood finishes have strong odors and fumes that can be unhealthy. Make sure to use them in a well-ventilated area.
