Lasting beauty requires minimal care with today’s wood floor finishes. The most popular finishes today are surface finishes because they are durable, water-resistant and require minimal maintenance. They most often are referred to as polyurethanes and remain on the surface of the wood to form a protective coating. There are several types of surface finishes:

Oil-modified finishes are easy to apply. It is a solvent-base polyurethane that dries in about eight hours. This type of finish ambers slightly over time and is also very durable.

Moisture-cured finishes are solvent-based and more durable and more moisture resistant than other surface finishes. Moisture-cured finishes are generally available in satin or gloss. These finishes are extremely difficult to apply, have a strong odor and are best left to the professional.

Conversion varnish has an extremely strong odor and should be applied by the highly skilled flooring professional.

Water-based finishes are clear, non-yellowing and very durable. They have a milder odor and dry in about two to three hours.

Penetrating stain and wax soaks into the pores of the wood and hardens to form a protective penetrating seal. The wax gives a low-gloss satin sheen. They are durable but will show spots from water and other contaminates. They are generally maintained with solvent-based waxes, buffing pastes or cleaning liquids (specifically made for wax-finished wood floors).

Acrylic impregnated finishes are injected into the wood to create a super-hard, extremely durable floor. These finishes rarely are used in residential applications. They most often are used in very high traffic areas in commercial settings such as malls and restaurants.

Source: National Wood Flooring Association