Hardwood Floor Refinishing in Vernon, CT – A Warm, Natural Look with Bona Intense Sealer
Vernon, Connecticut 06066 | Taylorwood / Daniel Trail Neighborhood
When we met with this family in the Taylorwood / Daniel Trail neighborhood of Vernon, Connecticut 06066, they wanted to get away from the appearance of the older varnish-style finish while still keeping some warmth and color in their hardwood floors. We worked with the husband and wife as well as the parents to determine the look they wanted before beginning the hardwood floor refinishing project.
This is actually one of my favorite finished floors to show customers because it demonstrates just how much the choice of sealer can influence the final color of a hardwood floor.
The homeowners didn't want their floors to look overly white or washed out. At the same time, they didn't want to go back to the traditional oil-based appearance that can become increasingly amber, honey-colored and orange as it ages.
For this project, Bona Intense Sealer gave us the balance we were looking for.
Bringing Out the Natural Color of the Hardwood
One of the reasons we like Bona Intense Sealer is the warmth it can bring to the wood while still allowing the natural grain and individual board variations to remain visible. Compared with Bona NaturalSeal, which tends to keep the floor closer to the lighter appearance of freshly sanded raw wood, Intense Sealer brings out more of the wood's natural color and intensity.
That's why I love showing these photographs to homeowners who are trying to decide what they want their own floors to look like.
You can see the individual boards, grain patterns and natural color variations throughout the floor. Bona Intense Sealer enhances those characteristics without pushing the floor all the way toward the deeper traditional oil-based look.
For a homeowner who tells us, “I like the warmth of my old floor, but I don't want it to become orange or overly amber,” this is a good example of the type of appearance we're talking about.
A Different Look Than Traditional Oil-Based Finish
One of the important decisions in wood floor refinishing is not simply whether the floor should be light or dark. There are many variations in between.
Traditional oil-based polyurethane typically adds noticeable warmth and amber color to the wood, and that coloration can become more pronounced as the finish ages.
A water-based finish system gives us other options. Depending on the sealer selected, we can keep the wood closer to its freshly sanded appearance or introduce additional warmth that emphasizes the grain and natural variations in the hardwood.
Look closely at this photograph and you can see exactly why I like this particular floor so much. The floor isn't stark or white. There is still plenty of warmth in the wood, and you can clearly see the different grain patterns and colors from board to board.
That was exactly what this family wanted.
It also makes this project a useful example when we're talking with another homeowner about the difference between keeping a floor very light and giving it a little more warmth.
The Finished Floor Changed the Entire Room
The finished floors worked beautifully with the existing colors of the house, especially the large stone fireplace. Instead of the floor having the heavier appearance of the older varnish, the natural variations in the hardwood became part of the overall look of the rooms.
The family was very pleased with the result, and so were we. The floors came out exactly the way they wanted.
Years later, this remains one of the projects I like showing customers when we're standing in their home discussing finish options. Photographs like these make it much easier to explain that “natural” doesn't necessarily mean one specific color.
The sealer and finish system selected can make a noticeable difference in how the same hardwood looks when the project is complete.
Choosing a Natural Hardwood Floor Finish in Vernon, CT
When we're discussing hardwood floor refinishing in Vernon, we don't believe every homeowner should automatically receive the same sealer or the same color. We look at the existing wood, the amount of natural light, the colors throughout the house and, most importantly, what the homeowner wants the finished floor to look like.
Whenever appropriate, samples can also help a homeowner see some of these differences directly on their own wood before making the final decision.
For someone who wants the floor to remain closer to its freshly sanded appearance, Bona NaturalSeal may be the direction to consider. For someone who wants more warmth and grain definition while still maintaining a cleaner natural appearance, Bona Intense Sealer offers another option.
This Taylorwood / Daniel Trail neighborhood project in Vernon is a great example of that warmer, natural approach.
Patrick Daigle Hardwood Flooring provides hardwood floor refinishing, wood floor refinishing, professional dust-containment sanding, hardwood floor repairs and hardwood flooring installation throughout Vernon and Rockville, CT 06066, as well as surrounding communities including Tolland 06084, Ellington 06029, Manchester 06040 and 06042, Bolton 06043, South Windsor 06074 and Coventry 06238.