Real and engineered wood floors are regarded as being beautiful, adaptable and hygienic, and are a popular way of improving the saleability of homes.
The days of having to wax and scrub hardwood floors are pretty much gone forever. Lacquer manufacturers have worked with makers of prefinished wood floors to develop coatings which give a durable finish. Prefinished wood flooring can have several coats applied within minutes, making the natural look both more affordable and much easier to maintain. Some hardwood flooring manufacturers have begun to add small chips of aluminium oxide to the finish, dramatically increasing its durability.
Most factory finished hardwood floors have several coats of finish applied to the wood's surface. For example, many wood floor companies apply 6-10 coats of a ultra-violet (UV) cured urethane. This would be extremely difficult for someone to duplicate on site, not to mention how many days it would take. This is one of the reasons why many flooring contractors, retailers, and builders prefer prefinished hardwood floors. Instead of taking several days to install and finish, a prefinished hardwood floor is generally done in one day. Today’s floors don’t watermark like the old waxed wood floors and are much easier to maintain.
FIRA can offer testing and consultancy to help you in your selection and specification of wooden flooring. Mechanical resistance – such as resistance to impact, scratching and abrasion – are important properties, as are dimensional stability and resistance to spillage and chemicals.
Contact customer services on 01438 777700 or email
Real and engineered wood floors are regarded as being beautiful, adaptable and hygienic, and are a popular way of improving the saleability of homes.