If you are thinking of restoring your floor or about to invest in a brand new wooden floor you will need to consider your finish options. The two main finishes are water borne and solvent coatings.
In our opinion, water-based floor coatings are typically the better option. We’ve discussed three reasons why below:
1. WATER-BASED COATINGS ARE CONSIDERED A MORE ‘NATURAL’ OPTION
Unlike solvent floor coatings, water-borne coatings won’t adversely impact your health. Solvent-based finishes often contain noxious and toxic coatings that can leave an unpleasant smell as well as impact the air quality and potentially the health of you and your family, particularly if there are asthma sufferers, pregnant women, pets or elderly in the home.
In addition to this, solvent-based coatings can also release harmful chemicals for weeks after application, which means the impacts can be longer than anticipated.
It’s recommended that you vacate your property for a period of time if you are investing in a solvent-based coating. With a water-based coating, you will not necessarily need to vacate your property as the smell very mild and non-toxic.
2. A MORE NATURAL LOOKING APPEARANCE
Solvent-based finishes sometimes have a plastic appearance and are typically darker in colour. In addition to this, solvent coatings tend to turn an unpleasant orange colour over time. This is caused by UV.
In comparison, water-based finishes look more natural and highlight the beauty and character within the timber with a slight accent. They also excel in producing a beautiful low sheen finish. Another advantage is that your floor will never turn orange like it will with a solvent based coating. Water-based finishes are more colour stable when exposed to UV.
You can also have flexibility with a water-based finish. We offer flat/natural, matt/satin, semi-gloss and gloss.
3. LESS HASSLE
With solvent coating, you typically have to move out of your home for a longer period of time which incurs a cost of either time and or/your hard-earned cash. Moving out of your home even for a short period is an inconvenience for most people and often not realistic with the busy lifestyles we live today. Water-borne coatings dry much quicker and don’t produce noxious smells, potentially allowing you to wait out the drying process in the comfort of your own home.
When you are making up your mind on whether to go water or solvent based, make sure that you take the time to consider your options and the health and wellbeing of those within your household. If you have any questions about your floor finishing please feel free to get in touch.
