So, you’re wondering about hardwood flooring finishes? Hardwood floors add great value to a home, look beautiful, and are extremely popular with home buyers. What holds some homeowners back, is the need for maintenance and refinishing of the floors.

The frequency you’ll need to refinish your floors varies depending on how much wear and tear the floor gets. A family home with pets may need refinishing every 2-3 years, while a home lived in by only a couple adults may only need refinishing every 8-10 years.

There are plenty of options for hardwood flooring finishes out there — but which suits you, and your floor the best?

Oil-based Polyurethane

Oil-based Polyurethane is among the most popular finishes used by professional flooring finishers. They are tougher and last longer than their water-based counterparts, and will cost less in the long run. One downside is a stronger odour during application, you will need to vacate your house for at least 6 hours. While using an oil-based finish, we advise you to use at least 2 or 3 coats.

Using oil-based finishes on a floor previously finished with a water-based finish may cause issues, so consult your local flooring store before committing!

Average Cost: $1-2 per sq.ft for a professional.

Water-based Polyurethane

The main benefit to using a water-based polyurethane is the ease of application for a DIYer. You will have a much easier time applying a water-based poly to your floors, over an oil-based, which may require professional help. Water-based polys are also more eco-friendly than their oil-based counterparts, which is a huge selling point to many!

When applying a water-based poly finish to your floor, you’ll only need to be out of your home for 3-4 hours. The odour is much weaker than an oil-based poly, although the finish may not last as long.

On average, a water-based poly will cost more than an oil-based.

Average Cost: $50-60/gallon, which covers approx. 500 sq. ft.

Wax Finishes

Using wax as a hardwood floor finisher has been a method used for ages. Its’ use predates polyurethane finishes by years. The use of wax finishes has made a comeback lately, with homeowners who want a low-gloss look, and for those who want to use products with less of en environmental impact.

Applying wax is very labour-intensive, as you have to work small areas of the floor by hand. This makes it DIY-friendly as there’s no special equipment needed, although adding extra labour. With a wax finish it’s also extremely easy to touch-up small areas of the floor, making maintenance very simple.

Wax finishes may be more prone to staining, and aren’t as durable as polyurethane finishes. There’s little to no odour involved, and applying wax is especially cheap.

Average Cost: $20/lb, covering approx. 450 sq. ft.

What’s the best option for you?

If you’ve got any more questions, feel free to contact us, and we’d be happy to help!