Finishes
Lacquered: A solid floor with a lacquered finish will be completely smooth floor, the lacquer provides protection and will also end up giving a slight sheen off the floor. This is due to the lacquer consisting of five coats of aluminum oxide.
Brushed & Lacquered: The ‘Brushed’ meaning in this term describes the texture / grain in the board. This effect is got by running a steel comb through each individual board. The floor is then coated with a protective lacquer. There will be an ever so slight sheen off the floor but not as much as the Lacquered floor.
Brushed & Oiled: The Brushed & Oiled board has the same ‘brushed’ effect as the description above, where the steel comb has been ran through each individual board. It is then coated with a protective oil. The oil used leaves the board with a matt finish. To help maintain the floor it is recommended that you refinish the floor with oil approximately every twelve months. Depending on how much use and foot traffic the room gets determines this. It would also do no harm to coat the floor straight after installation however, this isn’t essential.
Hand Scraped: This board is recommended for someone who wants to go for a worn or distressed look. By hand scraping the board this effect is achieved. Many manufacturers use a machine now to carry out the hand scraping as opposed to a worker actually carrying the process out by hand. The hand scraped floor will look like a floor with a story to tell when it is fitted, it may look like it has had a previous life in an old building and survived a lot of traffic. These characteristics will help add charm and value to your home.
Unfinished: This is where the board has been sanded and is left ready for the installers to apply a finish of the customers choice, to help make the floor meet the customers very own specifications. It is important that some sort of finish is applied so that the floor is offered protection.
