Choosing an aluminum oxide wood floor finish is generally the biggest decision you'll face when you're standing in a floors showroom staring with a sea associated with hardwood samples. You want a floor that looks beautiful, sure, but you also want something that isn't going to resemble a scratched-up clutter after three several weeks of kids, domestic pets, and dropped grocery store bags. That's exactly where this specific type of finish enters the particular conversation.
In the event that you've been browsing prefinished hardwood or high-end engineered planks lately, you've possibly noticed that almost all of all of them boast about having an aluminum oxide coating. It's become the industry standard with regard to factory-finished floors, and for some pretty great reasons. But such as everything else in house improvement, it's not really a magic bullet. You can find trade-offs a person should know regarding before you make to several thousand dollars' worth of floors.
What really is this finish?
Let's retain it simple: an aluminum oxide wood floor finish is basically a polyurethane finish that's been reinforced with tiny particles of aluminum oxide. If that noises like something used in industrial configurations, you're not wrong. Aluminum oxide is an incredibly hard mineral—it's actually used to make sandpaper.
When flooring manufacturers apply this finish, they don't just brush it on and allow it air dried out. They apply several layers (sometimes upward to seven or nine coats) and then "cure" them making use of UV lights here at the factory. This creates a surface area which is significantly tougher compared to traditional polyurethane material finishes that a contractor might utilize in your living room.
Because it's applied in a controlled factory environment, the finish is extremely consistent. You don't have to worry about dust settling into the damp varnish or pockets forming because the particular humidity was too high on the particular day from the set up. It gets to your own house already armored up and looking forward to battle.
The massive upside: Sturdiness
The main reason people proceed for an aluminum oxide wood floor finish is the sheer durability. When you have a busy household, this stuff is a lifesaver. It's remarkably resistant to those annoying "micro-scratches" that happen just from walking about or sliding the chair.
Think about the particular life of a typical wood floor. You've got grit on the underside of the shoes, dogs skidding around the particular corners, and playthings being dragged across the room. The standard oil-based or water-based poly finish is relatively smooth; it's meant in order to flex with the particular wood. While that's fine, it also means it scratches even more easily. Aluminum oxide acts like the protective shield. It's one of the hardest substances available (sitting just below diamonds on the hardness scale), so it will take a lot of force to actually gouge via it.
Many manufacturers are extremely confident in this finish that they offer warranties ranging through 25 to 50 years. You won't find that kind of guarantee with the site-finished floor. In case you want a "set it and forget it" floor that stays searching new for a decade or more with no needing a renew, this is usually your best wager.
The trade-off: Refinishing can be a pain
Now, here is the catch—and it's a big one particular. Because an aluminum oxide wood floor finish is made to be nearly indestructible, it's furthermore incredibly difficult to get rid of.
In case, twenty years down the road, you decide you want to replace the color of your own stain or the particular floor has lastly taken enough of a beating that it needs a full sand-and-refinish, your contractor might give a person a worried look. Sanding through a good aluminum oxide finish requires heavy-duty expert equipment and the lot of sandpaper. It's literally such as seeking to sand away a layer associated with sandpaper with another part of sandpaper.
In some cases, the finish is so tough that it's in fact cheaper or simpler to just change the floor completely rather than trying to sand it right down to the bare wood. Also, doing the "screen and recoat" (where you simply lightly scuff the particular surface and put in a new topcoat) is much trickier with aluminum oxide. New finishes often have the hard time binding to it due to the fact the surface is usually so slick and hard.
Consistency and the "Plastic" feel
One more thing to consider is the aesthetics. Since the finish is so heavy and durable, a few purists argue that will it can make real wood appearance a bit like laminate. It may sometimes develop a somewhat milky or "plastic" film over the wood grain.
Don't get me wrong, contemporary technology has made these finishes appear way better than they did 10 years ago. A lot of people won't even spot the difference. However, in case you're the type of individual who enjoys the raw, organic, "touchable" feel associated with wood where you can almost feel the materials under your feet, you might find a large aluminum oxide finish a bit as well clinical.
Having said that, many expensive brands are right now offering low-luster or matte versions of this finish. These types of do a much better job associated with mimicking the appearance associated with a natural essential oil finish while still giving you that bulletproof protection. It's about finding that balance between the look you want as well as the lifestyle you really lead.
Maintenance is actually easier
One of the hidden perks of an aluminum oxide wood floor finish is how simple it is to keep clean. Because the surface is definitely so hard plus non-porous, dirt and grime don't really have anywhere to hide. Most of the time, a quick sweep or a pass having a microfiber mop is you need.
You need to do have to be a little careful with the cleansers you utilize, though. A person should avoid something with wax or even "shine enhancers. " Since the finish is already non-porous, these products will simply lay on top plus create a gloomy, sticky film that's a nightmare in order to get off. Simply a basic, pH-neutral hardwood floor cleaner is usually the way to go.
It's also worthy of mentioning that considering that these floors are usually prefinished, you don't have to offer with the chemical smells (VOCs) in your house. The "off-gassing" occurs at the manufacturing plant during the UV curing process. By the time the cedar planks get to your house, they're pretty much inert. Intended for families with kids or people sensitive to smells, this is a huge benefit compared to having a contractor spend three times stinking up the house with traditional polyurethane.
Is definitely it the right choice for your home?
So, should you pull the particular trigger on an aluminum oxide wood floor finish? Truthfully, for approximately 90% of homeowners, the solution is yes.
In case you live in a house where people in fact live—meaning you possess pets, you host dinners, and also you don't make everyone get their shoes away at the door—the durability is well worth the headaches of refinishing it lower the road. Most people don't actually refinish their floors as frequently as they think they will. Usually, these people just want some thing that's going in order to look good for that next twenty many years.
However, in case you're restoring a historic home plus you want that authentic, hand-rubbed look, or if you're the type of person who enjoys to change your home's color colour pallette every five many years, you might want to stick with the traditional site-applied finish.
At the end of the day, an aluminum oxide wood floor finish is about tranquility of mind. It's about not panicking when someone falls a fork or even when the canine gets a situation of the "zoomies" across the hall. It's tough, it's low-maintenance, and it's built to survive the particular chaos of everyday life. Just make sure a person pick a color and style you really love, because that will finish isn't going anywhere for a long, long period.