Floor Finishes

You have several options here. Water based floor finishes, Oils, hard wax oil or spirit based varnishes.

Starting with the last first; we do not stock spirit based varnishes they darken the wood considerably are slow to dry 6-8 hours and have a strong odour. Solvents are needed to clean brushes etc. They are not environmentally friendly.

Water based varnishes.

These are generally accepted as the modern way to seal a floor. Hard wearing and easy to apply. Water and stain repellent has a minimum effect on the colour of the wood leaving it pale as possible. It is very quick drying, 1-3 hours. You could virtually complete the sealing of a room in day. It has a low odour, is hard wearing and easy to use, with no yellowing. Clean rollers, brushes etc. with water. Long wear life with minimum of maintenance. Environmentally friendly.

Hard Wax Oil

Hard wax oil is extremely water-repellent and does not water-mark. It's stain-resistant against wine, beer, cola, coffee, tea, fruit juices, milk and water. Contains no biocides nor preservatives and is suitable for use on childrens furniture and toys. Requires only two coats with no primer. Is almost odourless on application and during drying period. Needs overnight drying. Requires solvents for washing brushes and is not as maintenance free as water based varnishes.

Pure Oil, Carl's Oil

Available in several levels of quality dependant on what % of pine oil is in the oil. Easy to apply and give that oiled finish as you wulod expect. Provides little protection for the floor and also needs a fair bit of maintenance. Requires buffing

Which varnish?

Go for the best quality you can afford and allow for at least two to three coats. We sell only trade quality varnishes that are not available in the DIY stores. They are better quality than the DIY store choices. The varnish we sell is water based Bonakemi - Spectra, Mega, or Traffic depending on the amount of wear, tear and traffic expected. It's a bit more expensive but the finish is great. Buying cheap is false economy, it will not last as long nor look as good.

OUR RECOMMENDATION

Of all the varnishes, we recommend the water based Bonakemi of which there are several to choose from depending on the amount of traffic the floor is expected to receive. For average domestic use (that is most ordinary homes) we recommend the Spectra varnish which gives a beautiful finish. Mega is for floors that receive more traffic eg, work spaces, hallways. Traffic is for high wear areas such as galleries, museums etc. These varnishes are widely used by the flooring trade. Most types of varnish come in a choice of gloss, satin and in some cases matt finishes. Gloss is the hardest wearing. Satin and matt finishes have a softer shine which looks more natural on a wooden surface. For most domestic applications Spectra is more than adequate and if you want a really tough matt finish then Mega is the answer.