Is anyone aware of wood types or wood finishes that are scratch resistant or, as a minimum, the scratches are less visible?
My wife and I would like to install wood flooring in our new home, which is currently under design. However, we are concerned with the ease with which wood flooring scratches. We have an infant and a golden retriever – both of which spend a great deal of time on the floor. We installed laminate flooring in our current house because of its scratch resistance relative to wood, but prefer the look and feel of wood. I understand that oiled woods do not show scratches as much as a high gloss hard finish, but I have been unable to verify this. Your comments and perspectives are greatly appreciated.
Mike Rieken
Replies
Mike, there are a couple of things to consider. One is the hardness of the wood itself, which is really dent resistance. Most hardwoods--maple, oak, ash, birch, Brazillian Cherry--are resistant to denting. They won't hold up to your Subzero being dragged across the floor, but they will hold up under normal foot traffic. Softwoods (white pine, southern pine, fir) and softer hardwoods (cherry, mahogany) will dent under high heels, furniture legs, and the like.
The other thing to think about is the finish itself.
Oil-based polyurethane is pretty hard, but in my experience is the most scratch-prone surface. It's easy to screen and recoat every few years as long as the finish doesn't wear down to bare wood.
Water-based polyurethane is a little harder than oil-based, and smells less bad (I can't quite say it smells good!) when you put it down. It doesn't turn yellow or amber with age like oil-based polys will, but this also means that it doesn't bring out any depth in the wood. Sort of like those manufactured floors, the wood surface looks flat and two-dimensional instead of deep and rich.
An actual oil finish (Tung, Boiled Linseed, or Watco) mostly sits in the wood without a real protective surface. It adds a little bit of hardness to the surface as the oil polymerizes, but really relies on the hardness of the wood itself for protection. Scratches will appear, but will either blend back in over time or can be touched up easily. You can also recoat the whole floor easily, without having to screen it first. But, if you have an infant crawling around, you may not (should not?) be comfortable with a finish like oil that has heavy metal driers in it and that never completely polymerizes.
Maybe a route you should go is to look at floors pre-finished with an aluminum oxide varnish. They have a very hard finish, are cost-effective, and you get some of the depth quality of an oil-based finish. The downsides are that the finish is a little cloudy or plastic looking, and that you have to accept the "microbevels" on each edge of the board. And, the finish will still scratch, just not as easily. And if you have to refinish there's no "screen and recoat", you will have to grind down to bare wood and start over.
How is tile sounding?
Mike
I install a few timber floors. Even the Jarrah ones ( hard ) will dent. Dog claws will leave grooves in any timber.
Polyurethane finishes will show scratches worse cos of the film. Also harder to repair. Oil finish is easier to fix, no good in a wet area though.
What I tell everyone after doing a new floor........It WILL get scratched and dented. Its a floor. Want it to look pristine.........dont walk on it. Otherwise just use it, let it accumulate the dings etc of normal use and it will age nicely.
Everything, 100% of it, depends on how you look at it.
DW
AJ, that is about the best advice I've ever heard when someone brings this concern to the table. Heck, I used the same common sense when I bought my pickup. Its a pickup, its meant to get scratched, dented, and most importantly ... used!
What I tell everyone after doing a new floor........It WILL get scratched and dented. Its a floor. Want it to look pristine.........dont walk on it. Otherwise just use it, let it accumulate the dings etc of normal use and it will age nicely.
Well put AJ.
Like everything else, just have to accept the fact that time changes everything. Humans too, why can't we all just age gracefully?
Some of the two part catalized finishes are quit scratch resistant but AJinNZ is correct use the floors! Take a reasonable degree of care and watch them get a wonderful patina as they age..
In your old age you'll be able to stare at the floor and see all them memories that it contains!
If you want the hard plastic perfect look then don't buy wood since by it's very nature it's full of character.
Edited 4/17/2005 2:29 pm ET by frenchy
We have a Golden Retriever and kids too. We have decided to keep the dog, the hardwood floor, and are thinking about keeping the kids, for at least a while longer. We have 100+ year-old birds-eye maple floors and new prefinished oak.
All is well. Get a good pair of slippers and check your shoes at the door. Play catch with the Golden at least once a week, on pavement, to wear the claws down. And get good casters and felt pads for your furniture. And yer good to go.
As others have suggested...forget perfect.
Edited 4/17/2005 2:17 pm ET by basswood
Yep, leaving the shoes at the door is a great help. Another thing to consider is the color of the wood. Darker shows scratches and everything else much better - stick to a lighter wood so the inevitable scratches don't show as easily.