Finishing Your Floor

Before finishing the floor knots, splits and fixing holes can be filled with a mixture of resin and fine sawdust. Surplus filler and any marks can then be sanded down with a 120 - 150 grit sand paper. The floor should then be cleaned of all dust and dirt. A final wipe with a cloth lightly dampened with white spirit should remove all traces of dust. British Hardwoods supply and recommend two different floor finishes as below;

i) Hardwax Oil

This is mixture of oils and waxes that soak into the floor and protect it. As it soaks into the floor it will slightly darken the raw timber and bring out the colour and features giving a very natural satin finish. It is also very easy to maintain as more hardwax can be applied to localised worn or damaged areas.

To apply, the hardwax should be mixed thoroughly and then a small puddle poured in the far corner of the room. This should be brushed well into the floor so no surface residue is left. Ideally this should be done with the proprietary OSMO floor brush. Continue in this manner until the whole floor is covered. If there are any areas where the hardwax is showing thick then these should be wiped off with a cloth. Once fully coated leave the floor about 8 hours until fully dry and then re-coat in the same manner.

After two coats the floor should be fully finished. Leave for about a week before giving any heavy wear, moving heavy furniture etc. For the best results buff down with liquid wax cleaner two weeks after finishing.

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ii) Lacquer

A waterborne polyurethane system that after the initial application of primer coat will give the floor a very hardwearing finish. Because the product is clear and sits on top of the timber it doesn't darken it but keeps it in its raw colour. As such it is very popular where floors need to be kept as light as possible as in Maple or Ash. Unlike the hardwax oil any additional coats have to be applied to the whole floor. Firstly apply a coat of the acrylic primer with the approved roller. This will raise the grain of the timber so the floor will need a light sanding once the primer has dried. Two coats of the polyurethane topcoat should then be applied with the correct roller allowing a few hours to dry between coats. Ensure that you apply the amount as recommended by the manufacturer on the product packaging.

There are two grades of topcoat available; a one-part product that is available in matt, silk or gloss finishes and is suitable for heavy domestic/commercial applications, and a two-part product that is suitable for the hardest use. The two-part is only available in a matt finish. It should be noted that glossy finishes will tend to show scratches more than matt ones.

Again, leave the floor for about 1 week prior to subjecting it to heavy use.


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