When installing hardwood floors, homeowners are faced with multiple options. There are exotic hardwood floor products, domestic wood products, colors, styles, textures, and sizes that are all included in your selections. An important factor often overlooked is the sheen; it affects the longevity, maintenance, aesthetics, and safety of your wood flooring. You have options such as matte, satin, semi-gloss, or high gloss for your hard hardwood floors and today we at Mike’s Custom Flooring would like to discuss the differences.
Hardwood Floor Sheen Comparison
Sheen is, in simple terms, an indication of the amount of reflection produced by a finish. More sheen is from high gloss that delivers increased levels of reflection. Considered to have the lowest level of sheen is matte that create little to no reflection. Semi-gloss is the middle ground and the satin finish, that is between matte and semi-gloss for sheen, is gaining in popularity.
High & Semi Gloss Finish for Hardwood Floors: The greater level of detail and dynamic is displayed with the more sheen in your hardwood floor finish. A high gloss wood floor finish defines the wood grain and gives darker stains more oomph, which are all amazing in sunrooms, libraries, studies, dining rooms, and bedrooms. Keep in mind that the high-gloss finish will wear easier and faster, as a result, it is better suited in low traffic areas; avoid hallways and living rooms. Additionally, it potentially increases the demand of maintenance because this type of finish also highlights dust and debris on the floor. Depending on the color of stain selected, footprints can also show up easily on high gloss floors. Many commercial applications use high gloss finishes. This level of sheen is fairly slippery however, but because of the luster and shine, countless business and public buildings rely on the durability and beautiful aesthetics.
Satin & Matte Hardwood Floor Finishes: The high gloss may not be the best option for high traffic areas due to the nature of the signs of maintenance and wear standing out in the finish. If you want to create dynamics with the a similar high-sheen affect but want to conceal the imperfections for longer on your hardwood floor, then semi-gloss is the ideal sheen for your hardwood floors. Available in a broad range of wood species including dramatic exotic types and traditional domestics, many popular hardwood brands carry lines with a semi-gloss finish. You can see samples of the preferred flooring in a semi-gloss sheen. If the semi-gloss still shows too much reflection for your liking, opt for the satin finish. The is a lower level gloss, commonly referenced as lacquer; it displays a slight sheen perfect for an upscale look. Choosing between lower and higher gloss hardwood floors is fairly straightforward but depending on where the wood flooring will be located and what type of finished look you’re going for. Take in account the look you are trying to achieve as well as volume of foot traffic you can expect.
Hardwood Floor Services & More in Charles Town & Eastern Panhandle of Berkeley & Jefferson Counties in WV | Winchester & Frederick County | Round Hill & Loudoun County | Berryville & Clarke County | Herndon & Fairfax County VA
No matter which hardwood or finish you ultimately decide on, you want Mike’s Custom Flooring doing the installation for quality and efficiency, call us today to schedule your consultation.
