Hardwood Floor Sealers & Finishes - Differences Explained

What is a sealer and what is a finish? While some good polyurethanes can do double-duty as a sealer and finish, I can appreciate the roles that each product plays and the unique properties they need to maximize their effectiveness.
Let’s begin with the end in mind: the finish. A finish is the final coating applied to the floor that will be exposed to traffic and wear. In other words, this is what you’ll be walking on.

Properties Associated With a Superior Finish Coating

• For the contractor, you want it to flow well for an even coat without brush or roller marks
• Cure quickly so the floor can be returned to use
• Produce an even sheen across the floor
• Resist abrasion and erosion from traffic
• Provide adequate chemical resistance against spills from wine, food, and cleaning solution

The properties that make a good finish, don’t necessarily need to be in your sealer and this is why I often turn to a system instead of just one product for sealing and finishing.

Good Sealer Qualities

• Penetrate into the floor to fortify the wood
• Block any potential issues with tannins (see tannin details)
• Sand easily and build evenly in preparation for the finish
• Dry crystal clear with no applicator marks or heavy spots
• Dry fast with an open recoat window for multiple coats in a day without abrading

As you can see, the best features of a sealer are unique when compared to those of a finish and vice versa. Compare this to the one-size-fits-all approach of other products and you can see why this might be smarter and deliver superior results.

What are tannins? Tannins are naturally occurring, water soluble compounds found in wood. Their presence or concentration can’t be predicted because they can’t be detected visually until it’s too late. Tannins can potentially migrate to the surface of a wood floor when using a water-based sealer, resulting in discoloration or bleed.

Most people describe tannin bleed as looking like a coffee stain under the sealer. Tannin bleeding will produce an undesirable discoloration in the wood which will require resanding the area to remove it completely. Tannins are not damaging to wood and won’t degrade the quality or performance of the coating.

Submitted By: Ashley Blythe, President and Founder of HSW Floors
Specialty: Custom Hand Scraped Floors
Location: Dallas, TX

Contact: 972-755-4850

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