Timber Floor Finishes
CHOOSING A COATING SYSTEM
The coating decides more about how a timber floor looks in ten years than the sanding does. Two floors cut identically, one finished in solvent-based polyurethane and one in a two-pack waterborne, will not be the same colour by the end of the decade — and on the Peninsula, where houses are glazed toward the water, that difference arrives faster than it does inland.
There are really only three questions that matter. Does it yellow? How long before you can live in the room again? And what happens when it eventually wears? Everything else — sheen, brand, marketing language — sits downstream of those.
These guides set out what each system actually costs turn-key, what its VOC and re-entry profile is, how it behaves under UV, and which Peninsula suburbs typically request it. Where a system is the wrong answer for a particular house, we say so.
SYSTEMS COMPARED
| System | Turn-key cost | VOC & odour | Re-entry | UV behaviour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water-Based Polyurethane | $55 – $75/m² turn-key with a three-coat 2K system | Very low — under 27 g/L on commercial-grade 2K products | Light foot traffic within 24 hours of the final coat | Excellent — stays optically clear, no amber drift over the life of the finish |
| Solvent-Based Polyurethane | $45 – $55/m² turn-key on a standard sand-and-polish | High — strong, persistent solvent off-gassing | Site evacuation required for 5 – 7 days | Poor — ambers progressively toward orange, unevenly along the sun path |
| Lime Wash & Whitewash | $55 – $110/m² turn-key, or $12 – $25/m² as an application over a base sand | Very low | 24 – 48 hours depending on the topcoat system | High — maintains light blonde tones, provided the topcoat is non-yellowing |
| Hardwax Oil | $55 – $110/m² turn-key, in the same band as pigmented systems | Very low | 24 – 48 hours depending on the product | Good — minimal ambering, though the timber itself continues to warm naturally |
| Nordic Tints & White Stains | $55 – $110/m² turn-key, or $12 – $25/m² as an application over a base sand | Very low on waterborne tint systems | 24 – 48 hours | High — holds the specified tone under a non-yellowing topcoat |
Cost bands are turn-key ranges, never fixed quotes. Every figure moves with suburb, floor area, species and condition — we walk the floor before putting a number on it.
THE GUIDES
- Water-Based Polyurethane Non-yellowing, low odour, back on the floor in 24 hours. The default specification for occupied Peninsula homes. $55 – $75/m² turn-key with a three-coat 2K system
- Solvent-Based Polyurethane Cheaper per square metre and genuinely durable, but it ambers and the house has to be empty for a week. $45 – $55/m² turn-key on a standard sand-and-polish
- Lime Wash & Whitewash White pigment worked into the grain under a non-yellowing clear coat. The pale coastal floor, done properly. $55 – $110/m² turn-key, or $12 – $25/m² as an application over a base sand
- Hardwax Oil Penetrating oil and wax instead of a surface film. Softer look, and the only finish you can spot-repair. $55 – $110/m² turn-key, in the same band as pigmented systems
- Nordic Tints & White Stains More colour laid over the surface than a lime wash. Uniform, pale and controllable — and a one-way decision. $55 – $110/m² turn-key, or $12 – $25/m² as an application over a base sand
- Matte, Satin & Gloss Sheen is a separate decision from chemistry, and it changes how much of the floor you notice. No cost difference between sheen levels within the same coating system
SHEEN IS A SEPARATE DECISION
Sheen is a separate decision from chemistry, and it changes how much of the floor you notice. Within one coating system the price is identical across matte, satin and gloss — the only difference is a flattening agent in the formulation. It is worth choosing deliberately rather than settling it at the end of a quote.
