Contact us to speak with a Carlisle Wide Plank Specialist about your project and the look you are trying to achieve. We can provide you with flooring and color recommendations to help you create the perfect look. Get custom color samples to help you with your final selections.
The 3 Most Popular Finishes For Your Hardwood Floor: Hard Wax Oils
In the two previous posts in this series, we looked at the benefits and challenges of water-based polyurethane finishes and oil-based finishes. In this post, we’ll explore the advantages and disadvantages of the third most popular finish for hardwood floors – hard wax oils.
What is hard wax oil?
Hard wax oil is a combination of natural oil and wax along with an optional pigment that can bring color to the floor. These finishes have been in use throughout Europe as a site-applied finish for a very long time and like matte hardwood floors, are growing in popularity in the United States.
Hard wax oils permeate the wood to create a protective barrier against stains and water damage. By hardening or “curing” the wood, hard wax oils extend the life of the floor and help to retain the beauty of the original wood for a longer period of time. These finishes provide a low-build, low-sheen alternative to other popular floor finishes and are often offered as prefinished hardwood flooring.
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GET DESIGN BOOKAdvantages of a hard wax oil finish
Because hard wax oils provide a low-build, low-matte finish, they allow the original beauty and personality of the wood to shine through. Hard wax is extremely water repellent, helping to effectively protect the wood from spills and water damage. In many situations, hard wax oil requires only a single application, helping to speed along the finishing process. And repairing a scratch or a worn spot is quite simple on a floor finished with hard wax oil – you can easily buff out the scratch and apply more finish to the spot to create an even look.
Disadvantages of a hard wax oil finish
Hard wax requires a far different level of short-term maintenance and long-term care for your floors. Because the finish contains wax, it never cures into a hardcover finish. While this softness makes it easy to buff in a new coat of oil when refinishing the floor, it means you also have to reapply oil every 2 – 4 years to maintain the fresh appearance of the finish. Hard wax oil also requires specialty cleaners so that the wax and oils are replenished on a regular basis. This requirement not only adds to the cost of maintaining the floor but can result in the warranty being voided if other products are used. Additionally, hard wax oils are highly impacted by UV light, so rooms with greater exposure to the sun will result in significant degradation in color over time.
Maintenance
Cleaning a floor finished with hard wax oil can be more difficult. Although dust can be regularly vacuumed or swept away, stubborn dirt or grime must be removed using a proprietary finish for that specific floor. This can add cost to the maintenance program of the floor. You must check with the manufacturer to ensure you are using the cleaners approved for your finish. As with all hardwood floor finishes, it’s essential that any spills are cleaned up immediately and that water is never left standing on the floor.
Environmental impact
Many hard wax oils use little to no volatile organic compounds – the chemicals that emit gasses that can be harmful to people and the environment. Consequently, they offer healthier, more eco-friendly options for finishing your floors.
Carlisle Wide Plank Floors
Selecting the type of wood, the width of your planks, and the color of your stain will always be the first and most exciting choices when designing a hardwood floor. But choosing the right finish can help to protect your investment and allow your floors to become the defining feature of your home.
At Carlisle, you’ll not only find the finest wide plank surfaces in the country, but you’ll also get the assistance you need to design the floors of your dreams. We’ve been handcrafting exquisite floors for more than half a century, and our products are widely recognized for their incredible beauty and quality. Our floors are fashioned by artisan craftsmen and master woodworkers who live and breathe fine wood. We obsess over every detail, creating a one-of-a-kind masterpiece that will truly be an expression of your sense of style. Whether you’re interested in a hard wax oil finish or an oil or water-based finish, our design consultants will work closely with you to understand your vision for your space and help you realize it with the perfect Carlisle wide plank floor.
Read Part 1: The 3 Most Popular Finishes For Your Hardwood Floor: Water-based Polyurethane Finish
Read Part 2: The 3 Most Popular Finishes For Your Hardwood Floor: Oil Finishes
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