HARDWAX OILS OR WATERBASED LACQUER

The answer is that it depends!! ….

• Expected wear pattern – commercial or residential?
• Will the end user maintain the floor or not?
• What maintenance schedule can be expected long term?
• How easy will it be to re-finish the whole floor?

The main difference between our bestselling Hardwax Oil (Treatex) and our best selling water-based lacquer (Chauncey’s Duraseal / Duraguard) is the different maintenance needed. Both are hardwearing and both have additional hardeners which can be added for the toughest finish.It is important to realise that the lacquer is a coating which sits on top of the wood, whereas the hardwax oil is partly absorbed by the wood. Because the oil is absorbed by the wood, Hardwax Oils must be maintained using the special maintenance wash either daily (for commercial premises such as pubs or restaurants) or weekly (for residential use). This wash will both clean and restore some of the oils in the wood.

The flooring will need to be re-oiled as necessary – probably less than once a year in residential properties but it could be as often as once a month in the bar area of a pub - so keeping a vigilant eye on the condition of the oil finish is part of the maintenance regime.