Hardwood floors will last forever with proper care. You will find out in this video. A household with just two adults might only have to refinish every 10 years; a home with adults, kids, and a dog might need to refinish every three to four years. The manufacturing process makes it harder than most common species. The most durable hardwood flooring is bamboo. Hardwood flooring is available with a number of distinct surface finishes that not only enhance the wood grain but also help protect the floor. Brazilian cherry, a more exotic species, ranks 2,350. BR-111 Hardwood Flooring. Obviously, an engineered, Hickory wood floor is going to be more durable than a solid California Redwood floor. This creates a very durable, rock hard finish which is in the floor, not on top of it like surface finish (urethane). Water-Based Urethane. Hardwood species vary in durability, grain patterns, and color. Get the health safe flooring finish here. You're not going to be able to get that. A prefinished, engineered hardwood floor has a very durable, long-lasting finish. If you're going to apply a finish yourself, choose an acid- or moisture-cured product that contains nano-particles of aluminum oxide for maximum durability. 1.1 Engineered hardwood is less susceptible to environmental changes; 1.2 But solid hardwood can be refinished almost indefinitely; 1.3 Engineered wood can be cheaper to install; 2 Engineered or Solid, a Wood Floor’s Durability Comes Down to 2 Things; 3 Using the Janka Scale to Find the Most Durable … For many years, hardwood was considered a poor choice for places such as bathrooms and kitchens, where moisture is an issue. Anti-slip backing on rugs or carpet will dissolve if the floor is still off-gassing and curing. Here are our expert tips for applying polyurethane. There are no right and wrong hardwood floors, just more durable options. Pros: Low odor and low VOC content. Regular cleaning of your hardwood helps keep floors free of dirt, grit, food crumbs and dust, which are potentially damaging to wood floors. Hardwood Flooring. Most hardwood floors are made of oak, but despite the durable nature of this wood, it only looks as good as the surface finish. The most durable products on the markets are applied to bowling alleys and basketball courts. The coating will make all the difference when it comes to avoiding scratches and dents and making every hardwood floor more durable. Solid hardwood flooring is certainly a durable flooring option and high quality, well maintained hardwood floor will outlast us all! Aluminum Oxide: A Long-Lasting Type of Finish. Traditional oil-based polyurethane is flexible, capable of standing up to normal wood movement and providing a warm glow to wood floors. Best when professionally applied, acid-cured finishes are the most durable and expensive of all hardwood floor finishes. What is great about this wood floor finish is that it is long-lasting and requires very little maintenance. Best Value Wood Flooring. It’s important to choose the right species of floor so be sure to do your research and look at what solid floor species last the longest. Here is a comparison chart of common finish products to help you choose the best finishes for your projects. Choosing a durable finish can be the key to making sure your floors don’t need to be replaced. As you compare wood species, also consider the grain. Nevertheless, there is plenty to consider if we want the most durable hardwood floor available. Another lost finish is wax over shellac. Oak, maple, and cherry are among the most common species due to their hardness. It makes sense to choose the most durable finish now so that you can save time, money and energy down the line. So – which hardwood floor finish is the most durable and the best choice for your home? Finish Matters. most durable hardwood floor finish. This is a great choice for high-end homes, exotic wood, or floors with intricate inlay designs. How much wear and tear your floors get determines how often you need to refinish them and what product you use. Finishes applied on site after installing unfinished flooring or refinishing an existing floor aren't as durable, although oil-based ones are more scratch resistant than water-based ones. Softwoods, such as pine, will dent—even if treated with a penetrating finish. Water stains, scratches, dullness and whole areas worn bare by household traffic are signs that it’s time to refinish the floor. However, I have used two of the three plus AFM Safecoat Polyureseal BP, AFM Naturals Oil Wax and Bioshield Aqua Resin Floor Finish and can provide some insight based on my experience. Two types of floor finishes are typical of hardwood. While they are supposed to be one of the hardiest floor finishes, they are also the most expensive, running between $3.75 to $5 per square foot. 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