Oil- or water-based Finishes: What's Best?

Varnishing

Varnishing creates a protective surface film, which provides greater protection for the floor. This characteristic makes it a more convenient choice, allowing homeowners to pay less attention to maintenance.

During this process, the varnish is applied as the final step, preceded by a coat of color that is sprayed and wiped to remove excess. Two coats of primer are then applied so that the color sets properly, and subsequently, the board is sanded. Sanding is done to prepare the board and ensure the varnish adheres to the primer. The varnish is the last step in this process.

Oiling With oil treatment, on the other hand, the oil penetrates deep into the wood, impregnating the fibers. Unless specific colors are desired, the process is always the same.

A coat of oil is applied, and then a special tool is used manually to spread the oil evenly across the entire surface of the board. Once the oil is dry, typically after three days of curing, a second, specific oil treatment is applied, which has a fixing and protective function. It's protective because this final coat is water-repellent, although it doesn't reach the same level of protection provided by varnishing.

With oiling, the wood remains "alive," meaning bare, and consequently, the effect is more natural, but more attention and care are required to maintain the beauty of the parquet flooring over the years.

Ultimately, when choosing flooring for your home, aesthetics are obviously fundamental, but they are certainly not the only factor to consider. Keep this in mind when selecting your parquet flooring!

Varnished or Oiled Parquet?