It is a clear coat that is applied as the final step of the hardwood installation process and works by creating a barrier between the wood and your feet, furniture or anything else that may move across the floor. When using polyurethane finish there are some pros and cons … Easy to apply; Eco-friendly and natural; Edible and non-toxic in pure form; Relatively inexpensive; Brings out the natural beauty of wood; Partially protects wood from denting by compression; Cons. Pros And Cons Of Oil Finished Wood Floors Pros/Advantages The advantages of oil finished wood floors are as follows: Easy To Repair: If the oiled floor gets damaged it is easy to repair it.Scratches can be removed from the floor by sanding the scratched area with sandpaper and then applying oil on the sanded area of the floor. Also known as flaxseed oil, linseed oil is available raw form and boiled, treated or polymerized form. There are two different types of oils that woodworkers use: drying and non-drying oils. Oil Finish. Wood siding; Wood flooring; Linseed Oil. Oil-based polyurethane was actually the first hardwood floor finish to come on the market. If you’re having a new floor installed, prefinished wood is now common. You will find yourself recoating an oil/varnish floor every 2-4 years to keep it looking good, and only of you use the Tried And True finishes will you have a real non-toxic finish (no heavy metallic dryers), and this will cost you a bundle over the years. Oil is made of molecules small enough to seep down into the wood rather than merely sit on top. Factory finish is usually 7-10 coats of an Aluminum Oxide finish. After you have just finished building something out of wood, and want it to shine, a polyurethane finish is one way that people choose to do that. Customers see exactly what they’re getting, and can walk on it as soon as it’s laid. As a result, oil makes wood look richer and more translucent without adding a film on the surface. “All wood flooring used to be sanded and finished in the field,” says Margolies, but now 75 percent of the floors they lay are prefinished. However lots of high end customers are asking for dark stained hardwood floors with a matte finish. A polyurethane finish will also give the wood a strong protective cover to keep it from being scratched. Prefinished hardwood floors have numerous advantages. Solid pre-finished hardwood flooring lasts longer than unfinished flooring and here’s why: The finish applied to the flooring at the factory is completely different than the finish applied on site. Hw swears by oil base poly and I do as well. Pros. Plus: No dust! Several coats of sealant make these floors harder and more resilient to scratches, according to SFGate. One advantage is the hard, durable finish. Prefinished floors may take some of the initial work out of the project, but they have their own set of pros and cons. With the waterlox brand I’m afraid you will be exposing yourself to lots of toxic fumes as you touch up and re-coat these floor so often. PROS. Wecannot find matte finish oil base poly only water based and the satin finish oil base has a little to much shine for interior decorators and high end jobs.