The 3 Most Popular Finishes For Your Hardwood Floor: Water-Based Polyurethane Finish

When designing a hardwood floor for your home or business, one of the final choices you’ll make is the finish for your new surface. A finish is a liquid substance applied to the wood that forms a hard coating to protect the floor from scratches, scuffs, spills and water damage. Ultimately, the finish can help maintain the beauty of your surface and add years to the life of your floor.

There are three highly popular hardwood floor finishes used for hardwood flooring today: water-based polyurethane, oil finishes, and wax finishes. In this three-part series, we’ll explore the benefits of each finish along with options for sheen and for finishing the floor on-site vs. ordering a prefinished hardwood floor.

What is a Water-based Polyurethane Finish?

Water-based polyurethane is a finish that offers a smooth and lustrous look in a variety of sheens (or levels of shine.) Polyurethane is a plastic material or polymer that is used in many types of applications, from insulation and foam to plastic wheels and protective coatings. When used in a flooring finish, it’s applied as a liquid that dries and hardens to form a protective, moisture-resistant top coating on a hardwood floor. For years, oil-based polyurethane was the standard in finishes for hardwood floors, but water-based polyurethane is replacing it as one of the most popular types of finish for several reasons.

Advantages of this Finish

A water-based polyurethane wood floor offers numerous advantages for your new floor.

A healthier, eco-friendly alternative

One of the biggest benefits of water-based finishes is that they’re far more environmentally friendly than oil-based polyurethane. A water-based hardwood floor finish has no or low volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are gases emitted by the chemicals in the finish that can be harmful to the health of people and the environment.

Fast drying time

The water-based polyurethane finish dries quickly and becomes water-resistant once the resins in the finish have hardened. While oil-based products usually need several days to apply and dry, a water-based product will dry in a few hours, allowing the floor to be walked on the same day.

A clear finish

Oil-based products have an amber tint that can become more saturated over time as the floor is exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light. While this coloration is attractive to some, it immediately changes the hue of the floor or the stain applied to it. In contrast, water-based polyurethane dries to a clear finish that won’t alter or obscure the natural color or stain color of your hardwood floors.

Highly durable

The first water-based polyurethane products weren’t as durable or protective as their oil-based counterparts. But advances in manufacturing techniques have now made water-based polyurethane just as strong or even stronger than oil-based finishes.

Disadvantages of this Finish

For all its benefits, water-based polyurethane does present a few drawbacks when compared to other finishes.

Difficulty hiding flaws

Smaller scratches are likely to be more visible with an oil-or water-based polyurethane finish. Any disruption to the smooth surface of polyurethane will draw attention to the mark, especially in floors with higher levels of sheen.

More coats required

Water-based finishes will typically require several more coats to get the smooth, even finish that’s desirable in a hardwood floor.

Cost

Water-based products may be twice as expensive as oil-based polyurethane.

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Prefinishing your floor vs. finishing on site

When finishing your floor with water-based polyurethane, you may opt to order unfinished flooring and have the finish applied on site after the floor is installed in your space or to have it “prefinished” at the manufacturer’s facility before it is shipped to your location. While both approaches produce exceptionally beautiful floors that are well-protected from scratches, scuffs and spills, a prefinished floor may offer slightly more protection.

On-site finishes typically involve three applications of finish, while a prefinished floor may have 3-5 coats or even more.  As a result, a prefinished floor is even more protected from deeper scratches as the thick layer stops heavy traffic from quickly wearing back to the wood or the stain color. Most factory-applied polyurethane finishes are more durable than site-applied finishes as additional additives can be used to enhance scratch resistance. It’s important to check with each manufacturer as to what additives are being used, however. High amounts of chemicals like aluminum oxide, for example, can result in a hazy, plastic-looking floor if overused.  At Carlisle, we use a small amount of aluminum oxide that helps improve scratch resistance without sacrificing the clarity and richness of the finish that is so desirable when working with exceptional wood.

Choosing a prefinished floor or a floor finished on-site usually comes down to factors like the timing of the job, conditions on-site and whether people in your space may be sensitive to certain chemicals. Carlisle design consultants can help you choose the best option.

Level of maintenance

Regularly sweeping and vacuuming your polyurethane floors is the best way to keep them free of dust and debris that can cause scratches. Using a damp mop with warm water and a little vinegar can help to remove stubborn dirt, but you must take care not to leave standing water on the floor. We recommend that you avoid heavy commercial cleaners or wax-based cleaners as these products will reduce the clarity and richness of the finish over time.

Ease of repairs

It’s possible to repair scratches in a polyurethane finish – depending on the type of finish. Some prefinished floors have so many additives in the finish that it’s nearly impossible to evenly sand the topcoat, which is typically a requirement for touchups. If this is the case, you may need to replace the board instead. Before attempting a repair, it’s wise to check with your manufacturer about the best way to repair scratches.

If you have chosen a finish with minimal additives, you can typically touch up a small scratch by buffing it and applying a small amount of finish.  This will color in the scratch and return some sheen to the area to make it less visible.  When you have wear over a larger area, it’s best to lightly buff the floor and apply a new topcoat of polyurethane to the entire room.  At Carlisle, we offer a “dustless recoat system” that allows the new topcoat of finish to adhere without having to buff the floor, which can create excessive dust.

Options for sheen

Water-based polyurethane products come in a wide range of sheens. (Sheen is the amount of gloss or luster in a finish or the amount of light that the floor will reflect.) A matte finish hardwood floor has a very low luster and will appear somewhat dull, but it lets the personality of the wood be clearly seen. High-gloss or semi-gloss hardwood floors have a high level of luster and will appear quite shiny. Glossy floors don’t hide dust, scratches and scuffs very well and need to be constantly cleaned. Matte floors, on the other hand, will hide dirt and imperfections fairly easily. A satin finish floor has a moderate amount of luster, offering a finish with a good amount of shine that is nevertheless easy to keep clean. One of the more popular trends in polyurethane floors today is Extra Matte Sheen, which has very little luster and tends to hide small scratches and imperfections exceptionally well.

Carlisle Wide Plank Floors

At Carlisle, you’ll find the finest wide plank surfaces in the country. 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 design consultants will work closely with you to understand your aesthetic and help you choose the wood, grade, and texture along with the finish that will make your Carlisle floor a defining feature of your home.

Read Part 2 of this Series:  The 3 Most Popular Finishes for Your Hardwood Floor:  Oil Finishes

Read Part 3 of this Series:  The 3 Most Popular Finishes For Your Hardwood Floor:  Hard Wax Oils