Finishing for Wood Floor

Finishing for wood floors is also developing from time to time. At the time when the forest and wood are still available abundantly, there might be no finish for the wood floor. When the woods were found easily, then the human could choose the best wood. The floor and house were made from the big wood, which gives strong and good-quality wood. Now, when the wood is getting more expensive, the wood product is no longer made from good and strong wood. The modern wood floor is mostly made by veneer or laminated wood or wood planks with lower quality. This wood floor needs proper finishing to increase and enhance its quality and performance. Fortunately, the finishing for wood floors is also developing according to the woodworking and wood finishing technology.

At this time, finishing is playing an important role in the wood flooring manufacturing systems. The finishing is very needed to build the beauty of the wood floor and, at the same time, also to give protection to the product. This situation is also the same for the wood flooring industry; there are many new finishing materials, and systems are developed to fulfill the demands of the wood flooring industry.

wood floor need strong and durable finish

Here are some types of finishing for wood flooring.

• Oil finish

Oil finish is the simplest wood finish. Oil finishing will not provide protection to the substrate. However, for some types of wood, oil finish can be the best choice. Oil finish can give the beautiful wood finish look. He gives the very thin layer of finish and the natural appearance of wood. The oil finish is applied in a simple way by wiping or brushing. It can be applied to the installed wood floor easily. It does not require the special equipment and facilities and even a special operator.

 Usually the oil finish will wear out after a certain period of time and therefore need the recoating. Fortunately, the recoat can be done easily. We can directly apply the new oil at the old finish with a good result.

Although it could give the wood a beautiful look, the oil actually does not give real protection to the wood. It is also limited in the color choice. The oil finish is only suitable for the wood flooring, which already has its own beauty and strength. The oil will give the best wood look for the wood products that are made from the strong, hard, and beautiful wood. The oil finish is the common finish to teak, rosewood, ironwood, merbau, and other beautiful wood. 

• Varnish.

There are many types of varnish, and one of them is made specifically to finish the wood floor. The floor varnish can produce a film layer to provide protection to the wood substrate. The floor varnish also has a light brown color, which can add color to the finishing. If necessary, the varnish can be applied in combination with some stain to make the finishing color. Wood varnish can be applied by spray or brushed, then it can be applied to the floors that have been installed. The spray application will be more complicated but will give a better look and result; it needs the spraying equipment that may be quite difficult to be done in the rom. The spray application also will generate the dust spray that could be difficult to be handled.

• PU coating.

PU is a solvent-base finishing material that is widely used in finishing wood furniture. The materials can provide coating films that can also be used for the wood floor. As the modern finishing materials, then it gives some more advantages. PU coating can produce a smooth and beautiful finish. It can be used together with stain and glaze, and then almost all kinds of finishes can be made.

The coating should be applied by spray to get the best result. There is some type that is available to be applied by brush, but I will give a limited result. It can be applied to the installed floor if necessary. But of course the coating application at the installed floor is a big job. It requires good preparation and handling. We need to consider bringing the equipment to the room and also needing to handle the dust spray that is often generated.

• UV coating.

UV coating is now considered the best coating for wood flooring. The UV coating produces a strong coating layer, is environmentally friendly, and gives high efficiency in the application. UV coating is a modern finishing material that is most widely used by wood floor manufacturers, especially those who make products in large quantities. In combination with stain, then a wide range of colors and finishing looks can be created with this finishing system. The UV coating also gives a strong film layer that fulfills the market demand for the floor. The UV coating is also worked well for engineering wood floors such as MDF, or plywood, with veneer panels.

This material can only be applied by the specialized equipment: roller coater, curtain coater, or automatic spray machine with UV light oven. The application must be done at the factory and cannot be done to the insatiable floor.