When it comes to protecting your newly sanded floor, it is important to put down enough coats and the correct quality for the floor’s usage. After the first coat or two, any floor will look fine. However, for example in a sitting room that has just been given 2 coats of budget varnish, the finish can break down within months. That third coat can treble the life of the floor in a medium to high traffic area. It’s understandable that this mistake of not applying a third coat can occur, as it is at the end of a long job, and the floor looks fine, but a professional floor finisher working in his own house,would never leave it at 2 coats. The third and/or fourth coats also add an increased lustre and depth to the floor’s appearance.

Manufacturers usually recomend 1 litre of varnish per 10 square metres; we advise 2 coats for light-traffic areas like bedrooms, 3 coats for living and dining areas, and 4 coats for kitchens and hallways. On the 3 and 4 coat systems, one of the coats can be the economical seal prime coat, which minimises grain-raising and which should definitely go down first if you have laid a new wood floor to prevent panellisation. (However, if you are applying a 2-coat system, both coats should be varnish).

Seal, prime, basic, pre-laq, barrier seal, primer, blocking primer and other terms, are all used to describe a product that is designed to help in various ways before the varnish is applied. Seal in itself has no real wear or scuff-resistance: it is there to stop any problems which may occur. Seal prevents grain-raising, stops panellisation on newly laid wood floors, adds depth and lustre to the wood, helps retain the flexibility of the hard varnish, and acts as a barrier to protect against potential problems with stains.

Strada is the budget contract, acrylic-based varnish;
Classic is the mid-range varnish suitable for most applications;
Elite is the top-of-the-range, 100% polyurethane, water-based varnish which enhances all wood types, especially pine and oak, and is very hard wearing.

To a certain extent, choice of finish, i.e. matt, satin or gloss, is a matter of personal taste, but there are some other issues to be considered.

Gloss as a finish is not that popular as it shows up any minor imperfections in the floor. However, it is sometimes used effectively on tropical/darker woods for a particular look. Satin, which is between gloss and matt, is the popular contemporary look. It has a sheen and reflects some light, and is forgiving of the odd minor imperfection. Matt, although a small part of the market, gives a very natural waxed look.

In the 20th century, when solvent-based polyurethanes were common, gloss was harder wearing, because manufacturers used additives to achieve a satin or matt look. However, with our range of waterbased varnishes, there is no difference in durability between matt, satin and gloss finishes.

Bona Finishes:
We also carry the full range of Bona lacquers from the budget Resident/Spectra, from £29 +VAT per 5 litre container, to their top of the range Traffic product at £69 + VAT per 5 litre container.

Call : 0800 612 1387
Email: websales@floorsanderhireuk.com

Site by Hinga Design