Wood Flooring Buyer's Guide

When choosing a new hardwood oor, one of the choices you must make is surface
reectivity. Most hardwood ooring is available in four different sheens: High-Gloss,
Semi-Gloss, Satin and Matte. Each nish has pros and cons, so there is no ideal
nish for all occasions. The best ooring shine is the one that ts your lifestyle.
High-Gloss Finish
Pros:
• Highly reective and mirror-like.
• Easy to clean.
• High-end and professional appearance.
Cons:
• Slippery when wet, and when wearing socks.
• Shows surface dirt and scuffs.
• Needs constant care to look its best.
Pros:
• Reective shine without constant upkeep.
• Easy to clean
Cons:
• Slippery when wet, and when wearing socks.
• Shows surface dirt and scuffs.
• Muted sheen that’s not quite high-gloss, and
not quite satin.
Satin and Matte Finishes
Pros:
• Easily hides surface imperfections and dirt.
• Relatively low maintenance compared to
higher-gloss nishes.
• Subtle elegance.
Cons:
• Low light reection that will darken rooms.
• Water-based oor care is not recommended.
High-Gloss
Semi-Gloss
Satin / Matte
There are two main surface types in hardwood ooring, Smooth and Hand-Scraped.
The surface you choose primarily depends on availability. Traditionally, hand-scraping
was a labor-intensive process was limited to solid plank wood, but a Hand-scraped
nish isn’t limited to solid wood ooring anymore, since manufactured ooring can be
molded into a hand-scraped surface before the wood veneer is applied.
Hand-Scraped
Surfaces
Hand scraping is a process
that prematurely distresses the
wood surface, and gives your
oor the appearance of being
very old and very worn.
Hand-scraped wood ooring
is a bit harder to clean than
smooth-surface oors, due to
the imperfections in the wood,
but the upside is that hand-
scraped ooring disguises
dents, dings and other
blemishes that would
quickly lead to a renish
for a smooth oor.
Smooth Surfaces
Smooth-surface ooring’s appearance
is exactly like it sounds: smooth. This is
the most common surface type we sell
at Build.com.
Cleanup is relatively easy, but smooth
ooring is not as forgiving when it
comes to everyday wear and tear. You
will notice scratches, dents and dings
on a smooth oor that would have gone
unnoticed on a hand-scraped oor
surface.
Hand-Scraped
Smooth
gloss, sheen and luster surface types