The most natural and beautiful flooring in any room is a wood board floor and an inlaid floor. They last a long time and are easily renewed. After they've been laid in and polished, they need to be additionally processed. To lacquer or to oil – that is the question! What are the advantages of lacquering the wood floors and inlaid floors, and what advantages of oiling them?
Oiled wood floors
An oiled wood board or inlaid floor is much more natural in comparison to a lacquered one. The oil impregnates the wood fibre, but the pores are left open, thus letting the wood "to breath”. It must be taken into account that in order for the oiled wood floors to last a long time they must be regularly cleaned with liquid waxes that are cleaning agents added to the washing water. When oiling the floor the oil seeps into the surface layer of the wood and the specifics of the oiling process vary depending on the hardness of the wood. The softer the wood, the more oil must be used. How fast the wood surface will wear out is dependant on how quick the surface layer impregnated with oil is worn down.
Oiled inlaid floor or wood floor is better suited, if you have small children in the house. Even though oiled floors sustain spots more easily and thus demand more rigorous maintenance, the advantage is that in case of such a spot, it is possible to process and renew a separate wood board. Scratches and creases are less visible and more easy to repair.
In order for the wood not to grow yellow, it can be treated with mordant or alkalised before the oiling process. Alkalised wood inlaid floors or wood floors are well suited for those who prefer a paler, cooler floor colour.
Oiled wood floors and inlaid floors have a light matt finish, but the oils themselves are available in various hues – white, reddish brown, dark brown, black, etc.
Lacquered wood floors
Unlike oil, lacquer fills in the pores of the wood completely and creates a layer above the wood instead of impregnating the top layer of the wood. Lacquered wood floors make for a chicer appearance, the lacquer can be glossy and also matt. Lacquered wood floors are quite easily kept and highly protected from developing spots. However, in comparison with oiled floors, lacquered floors show streaks, scratches and creases much sooner and much more easily. Renewing them is also more complicated, because the whole room needs to be be repolished and lacquered.
Professional lacquers can be purchased for varying floor loads i.e. medium, high and extremely high, furthermore, they no longer possess the intense pungent odour as before, nowadays most of the lacquers are water-based, thus being virtually odourless. After sanding and polishing the floors the lacquer must be applied in 3 layers.
Like all floors both oiled and lacquered wood floors and inlaid floors wear out after a certain amount of time. After approximately 8 years of use the floor surface starts to wear out in certain spots, so they must be polished and renewed. The biggest advantage of wood floors is the fact that they needn't be changed, but rather renewed in order for them to look and serve as new.
You can purchase the wood floor boards and inlaid flooring, as well as all that's necessary for their upkeep at “Parketa nams”!
Koka grīda, foto - Pixabay