Types of Wood Finishes
Wood finishes protect the wooden surfaces from moisture and make its appearance richer and deeper. The wood finish is a lot different than just painting the wood. Wooden finishes improve the way the wood looks and appear on the surface. The term finish can also represent several coats of finish or an entire build-up of the coating. Below we have listed the most common types of wood finishes.
The most common types of finishes are:
Dye
Dyes match with the existing colour or it also changes the colour of the surface. Dyes are the kind of wooden finishes which are available in water-based and oil-based types. These wood varnishes guard inner wooden surfaces.
Oil finishes.
Oil wooden varnishes advance the presence of bare wood. Natural oils that are existing in wood dries out over time. Oils finish substitutes all the natural oils and nourish the wood again. It protects wooden well especially when furniture is on the wooden floor all the time.
Varnish
Finishes are made up of oil and solvents. They are typically clear and transparent. They give better UV protection. Varnishes dry slowly. Application of the varnish on the top of dyes gives much better protection.
Stain
Wooden stains changes or improves the wooden colour. They are available in many different colours depending on which you prefer and what colour your wood is already. The wooden stains tend to perform better the darker they are. They don’t protect the wooden floor as much as some of the other wood finishes but still do protect it to some extent.
Lacquers
Lacquers are a thin solvent based finished as compared to the other finishes. They are usually applied by spraying. Lacquers dry fast because they contain evaporating solvent. It reaches deeper into the wood and nourishes the grains and brings out the natural beauty of the wood. Lacquers bring a glossy shiny finish to the wood.
French gloss
French polishing is a wooden finishing technique with a beautiful high gloss finish, deep colours and a lovely shine. It involves putting on numerous coatings of shellac softened alcohol spreading it over with a pad greased with oil. The varnish is more gentle than modern polishes and lacquers. This makes scratches and marks seem minimal and hides them very well.
We understand that there are a lot of factors that go into choosing the perfect wooden floor, therefore, people want to look after the flooring. If the floor is maintained correctly and sanded and refinished when it is starting to age, then the floor will last a lifetime. The untreated wood acts like a sponge and absorbs everything that gets spilt on it. A glass of red wine on a finished table is no problem. However, if the wood were not treated, it would be stained permanently.
Do you want to find out more all about wood finishes and the best types for each type of wood, then please don’t hesitate in giving us a call on 020 8427 6604.