It has become increasingly popular, especially in hardwood floors, to use a top coating that seals the floor off, so that it is completely protected. There are many benefits to this, as it will help the floor stay in top condition for longer, and it will also be easier to maintain.
But how can you tell if your wood floors are sealed? It’s actually really easy to find out, as you can perform a quick and easy test that will tell you whether or not your wood floor has been sealed.
One of the biggest advantages of a sealed floor is that it will be stain-resistant and water-resistant, so it should be fairly waterproof. This is also the easiest thing to test, as it will be a solid indicator of whether it is sealed or not! If you need to disinfect your woodfloors, we show you what to do in this article.
To perform the test, dab a few drops of water onto an area of the floor surface that you want to check. If the water beads and stays on top of the floor, ready to be mopped up, then the floor is almost guaranteed to be sealed. However, if the drops of water soak into the floor, leaking under the wood, then the floor is sadly not sealed, and therefore not protected against water! [Sidenote: learn what types of vinegar can kill nasty black mold here!]
However, as a general rule, you shouldn’t have to worry. It has become the norm for most hardwood floors to be completely sealed after being put down and painted so that they are fully protected and ready for daily use.
So it is actually quite rare for a wood floor to not be sealed! But it’s always good to double-check just to be sure, and if your wood floor isn’t sealed then you can quickly remedy this by adding that yourself.
Do you need to seal hardwood floors?
As a general rule, almost all hardwood floors will be sealed so that they are fully protected, and it is quite rare to find a hardwood floor that hasn’t been sealed.
That being said, do you actually need to seal hardwood floors?
Well, need is a very strong word, as you could make do with a floor that hasn’t been sealed. However, it is strongly recommended that you do seal your hardwood floor, and there are many benefits and advantages that doing so provides. Besides, if your hardwood floor isn’t sealed, chances are it won’t last very long, and it will also be way harder to maintain in a good condition.
But just to show you how important sealing hardwood floors is, here are a few of the main benefits and advantages that it provides:
- It will prevent the finishing layer from ruining the appearance and quality of the hardwood floor:
Sometimes, the finishing layer that goes on a hardwood floor can cause a reaction that damages the floor or can affect the color of the wood, ruining the appearance.
However, if you seal the floor, it prevents any of this from happening, ensuring the hardwood floor will be and look its best!
- Long-lasting protection for your hardwood floor:
Most sealers are incredibly durable and long-lasting, and the protection they provide for your hardwood floor will help it also be equally as durable and long-lasting so that your hardwood floor has an increased lifespan.
It’s the best way to ensure you have a resistant and heavy-duty floor, perfect for everyday use.
- It will make the hardwood floor easier to maintain and clean:
When you seal a hardwood floor, you provide it with a protective smooth finish that is incredibly easy to both clean and maintain.
Water, stains, and dirt will all be super easy to sweep up or clean, and your floor will rarely suffer any permanent damage. As such, it’s a low-effort and simple floor to keep in top condition, so it looks its best without you having to struggle!
- Stain-resistance:
Sealing your hardwood floor will make it stain-resistance, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally spilling something on it.
It also means that any sort of dirt stain will be easy to clean up, along with scratches or other types of damage.
- Water-resistance:
This is by far one of the best benefits that sealing your hardwood floor provides, is the water-resistance. Water can cause a lot of damage to wooden floors over time, especially as it seeps in and permeates them with moisture and dampness.
So sealing your hardwood floors is an extremely important form of protection against all that!
How often do hardwood floors need to be resealed?
Sealing your hardwood floors will help them last a lot longer, and the coating of the sealer will be very durable and will last a good amount of time, but it won’t last forever. During the lifespan of your hardwood floor, it is recommended that you reseal a couple of times, just to make sure the protection is effective and in place.
On average, you should reseal your hardwood floors every seven to ten years, depending on how much use they are given and how worn they are. It will obviously depend on each floor, and on what it needs.
What do you use to seal hardwood floors?
What materials are used to seal hardwood floors? Are there different options? Yes, there are several different sealers that can be used with hardwood floors!
Most of them will do a pretty similar job, and they should all offer excellent levels of protection, but depending on your hardwood floor you might be better suited to one sealer or another, as they all have their individual and unique pros and cons. Here are the main few sealers that are used with hardwood floors:
- Water-based polyurethane
- Oil-based polyurethane
- Moisture-cure urethane
- Wax
- Shellac
- A penetrating oil sealer
- An acid-cured finish
- Aluminum oxide