Walnut floors are all about class and style. These are stunning additions to a home, office, or any other space. But how do you keep floors looking as new for years? You might think, what a joke! Everything ages with time, and it stays true for the floors.
But it’s not true; using the right finish on the floor can help to protect the Brazilian walnut floor from dust, debris, and stains. Moreover, a finish will enhance the beauty of the floors for years and keep it the focal point of your interiors. In this blog, we are going to read about various kinds of finishes that can give you a gorgeous-looking floor.
Let us first know about walnut floors:
Walnut floors don’t mean they come from natural walnut wood. It is named so because the color of the floor gives off a shade that matches the color of a walnut. Brazilian walnut flooring is an exotic flooring option that has a unique grain pattern and rich color.
Brazilian walnut wood, commonly known as Ipe, has a high Janka hardness rating of 3690. The hardness of floors makes them resistant to damage and water attacks. The wood is so hard that it is often difficult to work with it. Only a skillful and experienced carpenter can work with the walnut wood.
Why proper finishing is essential for walnut floors?
When the floor is left unfinished, it will look like a log of wood that is rough and not appealing at all. A finishing enhances the look and adds a protective layer between the wood and our feet. It maintains the color and grain of wood and makes floor cleaning easier.
Here are some hardwood finishes you can try any kind of hardwood floors, including Brazilian walnut flooring
- Oil-based polyurethane finish.
- Water-based polyurethane finish.
- Single coat Wax finish.
- Let us know about them in detail.
Polyurethane oil-based finish: This kind of finish is prepared using oil and resin. It provides a warm appearance to the wood and takes around a month to dry up properly. The finish releases chemicals that are not good for health, so it is recommended not to stay inside the house while it is drying.
Even though it takes around a month to dry and release the harmful volatile organic compounds, the floors are 100% safe to use after they are ready to use.
Polyurethane finish that is Water-based: This one is no doubt the favorite of every homeowner. It is eco-friendly and offers many advantages as compared to oil-based finishes.
- It doesn’t take up to a month to dry. It dries up quickly.
- It has low levels of (VOC) volatile organic compounds.
- Water-based finishes create strong bonds with the wood and don’t let it fade.
- It compliments walnut flooring and enhances its natural look perfectly.
- It doesn’t turn into a yellow color like an oil-based finish.
- The curing time for a water-based finish is 5 hours, which is really fast. Most people like this type of finish for better performance and looks.
Hard wax finish: Wax finishes are suitable for presenting floors with a better appearance, but these finishes are not as durable as oil-based and water-based finishes. You will have to add this type of finish to your floors again. Recoating is required every five years. The important thing to consider is that it comes on a low budget, so if you are looking for a finish that comes on a budget, wax finish is the one for you.
What to consider when choosing a floor finish?
When you choose a finish for your floor, it involves considering the following things.
- Aesthetic appearance
- Durability
- Impact on environment
When deciding on the floor finish, think about the room amount of traffic that will enter it daily is. You need to have a stable Brazilian walnut floor finish that keeps the color the same, and resists scratches and stains.
However, you need to have realistic expectations from your floors. At the end of the day, we are talking about hardwood floors, and these cannot withstand the naughtiness of pets and children. So, you will need to cover up the areas exposed to pets and children on a regular basis with rugs and carpets. If you are capable of maintaining a cleaning routine, nothing can come your way to protect the floors and keep them looking shiny.
Should you hire a professional for hardwood floor finishes?
You can apply finishes to your floors yourself, but it requires some experience. As soon as you apply the finish to the floor, you must immediately wipe away the excess. However, when you hire a flooring professional, they take care of everything and avoid mistakes smoothly. It will be smart to take the help of a professional to install your floors and finish them perfectly.
Do finishes feel tiring? Here’s what to do.
If you don’t have time to wait for the finished to dry and feel it is tiring, go for prefinished floors. These floors are finished in a factory setup, and there is no waiting time for their installation.
You might be worrying that you will not get Brazilian walnut floor with your choice of finish if you go for prefinished flooring. This is a misconception. Prefinished floors are available in all kinds of finishes, from oil and water-based to wax-based. You can start to walk on prefinished floors right after the installation, so all the people who feel staining and finishing a floor is not their cup of tea can choose factory-finished and UV-dried floors and get quick installation.
Conclusion
Choosing the right type of finish for a Brazilian walnut floor is an easy process when you understand the characteristics of your floor. If you are still unclear, Harper Floors is one of the best flooring providers. They have all kinds of floors, including hardwood, prefinished, best-engineered, and SPC. They can guide you about the right hardwood floor species and finish for your space. They also provide free flooring samples to their clients. To get perfect floors for your space, visit their website now!
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