Finishes ...

You are very fortunate if you have a hard wood floor because real hardwood colours will never go out of style. There is a timeless quality about the natural colour of hardwoods that will ensure your house or business property never becomes outdated because of its flooring. For those less fortunate there are options.

It may well be that you are happy with the natural colour of the floor and if so all that remains is for us to discuss whether you would like the floor finished with a sealant or a hard wax oil.

In the main we use hard wax oils on hardwood floors although there have been occasions where clients have requested their pine floors treated. As with so many things in life there is a plus and a minus to all decisions. Hard wax oiled floors become wonderfully matt and mellow and provide a subtle natural finish. The surface does not scratch like a sealant but it does wear and will require some periodic attention. The choice is up to you and it’s along the same line as what colour of car seats do you choose if you have two Labradors and three children under ten – black or white. Yes, I do appreciate some do choose white because that is the only colour they can live with regardless of the consequences. And that’s fine and just like choosing a hard wax oil finish you will have to be prepared for more regular maintenance.

If you decide on a sealant the first consideration is whether you desire or require a gloss, satin or matt finish. There are other considerations such as whether you need a tinted product or one specifically designed to reduce the effects of UV light.

Most modern floor coatings are water based and at the forefront of this technology is our main sealant supplier, Smith & Rodger a Glasgow based 4th generation company who among other things make specialist water based lacquers specifically for floor surfaces. They started manufacture in 1877 and we will consult with them when different designed products are required. It might be an ethanol based base seal or a single pack polyurethane varnish.

Both Ian McAslan the Managing Director and Technical Director and chemist Drew Findlay share a lifetime of experience in lacquer and sealant design and production and will help us solve a client’s specific problem and in some cases even manufacture a specialist product to suit the job in hand.