NORTHERN ONTARIO WIDEPLANK RED PINE FLOORING 12", 10", 8", 6"

FLOOR FINISHING PRODUCTS

Floor Finishing Resins and "Diamond Tough" Curing Additives

ALUMINIUM-OXIDE

Aluminium-Oxide (Cured) is the latest in "Diamond Tough" wood floor finish. It are highly resistant to moisture, stains and spills and extremely resistant to wear and tear. Aluminium-Oxide offers important technological features ... the resin has a complicated combination of High Solids and Fluidity ... High Solids provide 'bulk' (wear-resistance) while Fluidity allows the resin to penetrate into wood to solidify the wood fibres. The finish can also be applied up to a maximum of six dry millimetres (6 mil.) in thickness without leaving a slippery or plastic looking surface. On-site application allows for a 'sealed' floor yet, the resin can withstand the annual (and normal) Breathing Cycle of any solid wood floor.

Aluminium-Oxide Resin is made of metallic saturated polymers. It requires a skilled professional to apply this finish properly as it requires proper mixing and a speedy 'pour-down' application for professional results. Marreed-Prestman guarantees professional results through the use of my Rock Pine Pour-Down FloodCoat TopCoat Finishing Technique.

POLYURETHANE

Polyurethane wood floor finishes are also highly resistant to moisture, stains, spills and wear and tear. It are the most popular pre-catalyzed  (ready-to-use) wood floor finish because of its ease of application. Poly's are either Acid or Titanium cured or oil modified, but, they lack the High Solids* characteristic of Aluminium-Oxide; thus, Polyurethane is less dense and less wear-resistant than Aluminium-Oxide.

* Acid and Titanium cured resins use NANO technology, whereby, High Solids are pulverized to accommodate spray ability in a manufacturing/prefinished production facility. Even "Pine People" are shocked to hear that it takes only six (6) seconds to run flooring material through an automatic sander and spray finishing 'booth'. Manufacturers spray finish coats "soooooo...fine" (that a person could not apply hairspray on their head as thinly) then, cure the fine coating under UL (ultraviolet light). This NANO process is repeated ten (10), or more times, to end up with a finished thickness of .006 mil  ... that is one-tenth (1/10th) the thickness of my .06 mil. on-site FloodCoat applications. Lastly, prefinishing facilities can not spray Aluminium-Oxide because the resin contains metallic solids that are harder than the titanium tips on most spray equipment in use today .... that, inadvertently verifies "the truth" about the different resins when it comes to hardness and durability.

 URETHANE

Urethane wood floor finish is available in two forms: Swedish finish (acid cure) and water-based. Swedish/acid cure urethane has a strong odour and should be used only by professionals. Water-based urethane dries quickly without the levels of odour associated with its oil-based counterparts. Urethane is considered 'old technology' ... they are low in High Solids and tend to yellow in direct sunlight ... less resistant to moisture, stains, spills, and wear and tear than either Polyurethane or Aluminium-Oxide.

WAX

Wax is the oldest and easiest application for a wood floor finish. It gives your wood flooring a beautiful shine and a protective film that prevents dirt getting into your floor. Wax has no chemical or abrasion resistance and is considered quaint but, high maintenance.

VARNISH

Varnish was a popular floor finish for a century or more. It is available in both matte and glossy wood floor finish. It scratches easily in high traffic areas and requires frequent refinishing over the life of the floor. Due to these drawbacks varnish finish is no longer in common use.

SHELLAC and LACQUER

Shellac is an alcohol-soluble resin derived from lac, a substance secreted by insects found mostly in India. Lacquer is a synthetic coating made with cellulose derivatives. Shellac and lacquer wood floor finishes dry very quickly but are not as resistant to moisture or spills and wear and tear as other finish types. Due to these drawbacks this finish is no longer desirable as a flooring finish.