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A Guide to Wooden Flooring Finishes: Find Your Perfect Match

Choosing the right finish marks the difference between “just a wood floor” and “a natural, stunning centrepiece”.

1. Oil-Based Finishes

These finishes use natural or hardwax oils that absorb into the wood, bringing out its natural beauty and texture. UV-cured oils add extra protection, making the surface more resistant while maintaining the organic feel of an oil-treated floor. MM

Pros

  • Enhances natural grain with a warm, matte look
  • Penetrates wood for long-lasting protection
  • Easy to spot-repair
  • Eco-friendly options available

Cons

  • Requires regular maintenance (re-oiling)
  • Less surface durability than lacquer
  • Longer curing time
  • More likely to stain if not maintained

2. UV Lacquer Finishes

UV lacquer finishes create a hard, durable surface by curing the coating instantly with ultraviolet light. This results in a tough, glossy layer that protects engineered wood flooring from scratches, stains, and wear, while offering a smooth, polished appearance.

Pros

  • Extremely durable and resistant to scratches and stains
  • Fast drying and curing time thanks to UV technology
  • Provides a smooth, glossy, or satin finish
  • Requires less frequent maintenance than oil finishes

Cons

  • Surface scratches can be harder to repair
  • Can appear less natural compared to oil finishes
  • Usually more expensive than traditional finishes

3. Water-Stain + Water-Based Lacquer

Water Stain: Used to enhance or alter the natural color of engineered wood flooring. Water stains penetrate the surface, allowing the grain to show through while adding rich tones without the harsh chemical smell of traditional stains.

Water-Based Lacquer: A clear protective finish applied over the stained wood. It dries quickly, has low VOCs, and provides a smooth, durable surface. This finish resists yellowing over time and is available in various sheens, from matte to semi-gloss.

Pros

  • Enhances color while keeping natural texture
  • Fast-drying, low odor, and low VOCs
  • Good protection with a natural look
  • Resists yellowing; available in multiple sheens

Cons

  • Doesn't penetrate as deeply as oil
  • Repairs may need sanding and recoating
  • Less durable than UV lacquer
Finish Look & Feel Durability Maintenance Repairability Drying Time / VOCs
Oil (incl. UV) Natural, textured Medium Re-oiling 3–12 mo Easy spot oiling Long / moderate VOCs
UV Lacquer Smooth, glossy/matt High Minimal Difficult (requires sanding) Instant cure / factory VOC control
Water-Stain + Water Lacquer Even tone, clear High–Medium Occasional cleaning Spot lacquer possible Fast / low VOCs

Choosing What's Right for You

  • Choose Oil or UV Oil if you love a tactile, natural feel and don't mind occasional maintenance.
  • Go with UV Lacquer for homes with kids, pets, or high foot traffic, where durability is key.
  • Opt for Water-Stain + Water-Based Lacquer if you want consistent color, quick drying, low odor, and easy care.

The Floorist Has You Covered

At The Floorist, we offer all three finishing options for engineered wood flooring: oil, UV lacquer, and stain with water-based lacquer. Our team will help you choose the right finish based on your needs, including:
  • Your lifestyle and level of foot traffic.
  • The look and feel you want in your finish.
  • Whether you prefer consistent color or natural variation.
From sample selection to installation and ongoing maintenance, our experts handle it all.

Contact The Floorist today for a personalized consultation.

Whether you’re drawn to natural character, need high durability, or prefer a clean, modern aesthetic, we have a flooring solution that’s just right for your space.

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How to measure

We know walls come in all shapes and sizes, it’s one of the reasons we love them! For tips on measuring different wall types, scroll through the sketches below.

Standard Wall

If your wall has two slants, simply identify and measure the longest part of the wall in both the width and the height. Again, we will produce your mural as a square or rectangle, with the cutaways taking place during installation.

Sloped Wall

When you have a sloped ceiling or wall, measure the longest and widest parts only, ignoring any slopes. We provide the mural as a whole rectangle or square, and the slope is cut away during installation.

Pitched Wall

When you have a sloped ceiling or wall, measure the longest and widest parts only, ignoring any slopes. We provide the mural as a whole rectangle or square, and the slope is cut away during installation.

Wall with obstacles

When there is a door, window or other obstacle on your wall, only measure the total width and height of the wall, as the obstacle will simply be cut away during hanging. Feel free to send us additional measurements, a photo or a rough plan as we can add the position of the obstacle to your proof image. Easy!

Multiple walls

If you’re looking to wrap a wallpaper around multiple walls, simply combine the widths of each wall and submit one measurement when ordering. There’s no need to order the mural as two separate pieces.