High Gloss Wood Flooring Options

Although the most popular look by far for wood flooring over the past few years has been a natural, brushed and oiled look, there is a trend emerging that is suggesting that the thing of the future could well be high gloss.  One thing to say about high gloss flooring, before explaining how to achieve this look, is that it can be pretty high maintenance.  Thanks to it’s highly polished, pristine appearance, the least little blemish or mark on a high gloss floor stands out like a sore thumb.  Think back to your school gym when you were young (if you’re old enough to have had a shiny wooden floored gym that is) and remember how it looked straight after the holidays…almost as if someone had laid a sheet of glass over it!

The first key to getting any floor shining like a mirror is sanding.  The floor itself needs to be sanded using very fine wet or dry black paper prior to and in between adding layers of high glass lacquer.  There is a product called ArmorSeal Rexthane, which is manufactured by Sherwin and Williams that is typically used for heavy-duty floor shining jobs.  Commonly used in the likes of schools, airport hangers, laboratories and clean rooms, this product is serious stuff when it comes to achieving shine.  At the time of writing this article, I struggled to track down a UK supplier of this product, but I’m sure it must be possible to buy it here.

All of that said, the principle of shiny floors is the same, irrespective of whether or not you can track down this product.  Here’s what you need to do:

1. Prepare your floor by sanding it to as smooth a finish as youpossibly can.  As we mentionedabove, this can normally be achieved by using a very fine sand paper (120 or 150 grit).  Once you’ve sanded it, make sure you vacuum the floor thoroughly to pick up all the dust that had accumulated and landed after the sanding.  Once you’ve vacuumed up as much of the dust as you can, wipe over the floor with a soft, lint-free cloth soaked in white spirit and leave to dry.
2. The next phase is to apply your base coat sealer.  What you need to do is work from the edges of the room inwards and from the point furthest away from the door towards the door.  Around the sides of the room, you’ll need to work with a paintbrush, but as you get in towards the centre, you should be able to use a clean mop or a roller to make the job quicker.   Allow the base coat sealer to dry for at least 2 to 3 hours.
3. Now you can start to add your high gloss finish.  Do so in exactly the same way as you did for the base coat, leaving it to dry for a longer period, ideally of around 5 hours.  When the lacquer is wet, you’ll get a good idea of how shiny it will look when you’re finished.  If you are in any doubts, now is the time to change strategy and go for a less shiny look.  If you like the shininess of the floor, carry on applying layer 3 and a 4^th if necessary.

The key here is letting the floor dry thoroughly and completely between coats, and giving it a light sanding; otherwise you could end up with a build-up of lacquer that will spoil the overall look.

Once you have your floor looking shiny, you’ll be able to buff it up and get your furnishings back into the room before sitting back and enjoying the fruits of your labour.

If you decide that making your floor ultra high gloss is a job for the professionals, make sure you hire someone who knows exactly the look you’re hoping to achieve and knows how to achieve it.  Ask for references and even to speak to past customers if you’re in any doubt whatsoever.  If you’d like to speak to us at Wood and Beyond about achieving a high gloss look on your wood floor, why not get in touch?