Wood floor finishes protect the boards in different places: surface finishes, the group that oil-based and water-based coatings belong to, sit on top as a film, penetrating oils soak into the fibers, and UV-cured finishes are hardened under ultraviolet light, on site or at the factory. For sheen, the rule is short: the less light a floor reflects, the less everyday wear you notice. On a prefinished board the oil vs polyurethane hardwood floor finish decision is made at the mill, so what you choose in the store is mostly the sheen. The four boards from our solid hardwood collection used as examples below all arrive with the finish applied, and this page sticks to finish chemistry and sheen rather than species or grade.
Quick answer: how oil, polyurethane and UV-cured finishes differ
The National Wood Flooring Association describes each family of finish in a single line:
- Oil-based finishes form a film on top and bring an amber colour: "Oil-based finishes are amber in color and are very durable."
- Water-based finishes also form a film, but they stay clear: "Water-based finishes are normally clear, very durable, and dry quickly."
- Penetrating oil, including hard wax oil, goes into the wood rather than over it: "Penetrating finishes include natural oil finishes, which can be penetrating oils or hard wax oil finishes."
- UV-cured finishes are a curing method more than a separate chemistry: "UV-cured finishes are normally water-based finishes that are cured instantly using ultraviolet light."
Sheen is a second choice, running from gloss down to matte. Price follows the board, not the finish name: solid hardwood in our catalogue runs from $4.99 to $9.99 per sq ft, and the four boards used as examples here run from $5.39 to $6.99 per sq ft.
Film finishes versus penetrating oils: where the protection sits
One family can be touched up in a single spot; the other is a continuous coating. The association puts the shared trait of film finishes plainly: "Surface finishes are film-forming finishes that remain on the surface of the wood to form a protective coating."
| Finish | Where the protection sits | What the source says |
|---|---|---|
| Oil-based surface finish | On the surface, as a film | Amber in colour and very durable (association) |
| Water-based finish (varnish) | On top of the wood, as a clear film | "Today's varnishes are almost exclusively water-based, with minimal solvent content." (finish manufacturer) |
| Penetrating oil or hard wax oil | Inside the wood fibers and pores | "High-solid oils penetrate the surface and impregnate the wood fibers and pores." (finish manufacturer) |
| UV-cured finish | On the surface, cured by light | "These finishes may be site-applied or applied during the manufacturing process." (association) |
| Aluminum oxide finish | On the surface, applied at the mill | "Aluminum oxide finishes are applied during the manufacturing process." (association) |
Why the repair difference matters
An oiled floor is the easier of the two to spot-fix. In the words of the finish manufacturer LOBA, "Minor damage to oiled parquet and wood floors can usually be easily improved by re-oiling so that the marks are no longer noticeable". The trade-off is upkeep, since the same source notes: "One of the downsides of impregnated wood surfaces is their stronger tendency to get dirty, which means they need more care."
A film finish reverses both points: "Unlike oils, modern varnishes remain on the surface, forming a sealed and very long-lasting coating." On repairs, though, coatings "are also usually more difficult to repair than oiled floors, as the whole floor has to be stripped and refinished if it is damaged."
On our own boards, the product page names the finish. The Lauzon Essential Hard Maple Sapphir listing says the floor is "finished with a durable aluminum oxide coating". That listing prints no sheen level, so if you are matching an existing floor, compare the two side by side before you order.
Finish wording on the prefinished boards we stock
Since these boards arrive finished, the question is which finish each one already carries. This table reads the wording from four product pages, with current prices.
| Board | Finish listed | Grade | Coverage per box | Box price | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Natural Hard Maple | Semi gloss, in the title and the spec table | Prestige Grade | 18.9 sq ft | $132.11 | $6.99 |
| Appalachian Natural Red Oak | Semi gloss (title and spec table) | Excel Grade | 18.9 sq ft | $101.87 | $5.39 |
| Lauzon Essential Hard Maple Sapphir | "finished with a durable aluminum oxide coating" | No grade in the spec table | 17.0 sq ft | $99.80 | $5.87 |
| MKB Red Oak Epicea Character | "surfaced in a smooth factory finish" | Character Grade | 17.0 sq ft | $118.83 | $6.99 |
Prices checked October 6, 2026. Box prices and coverage come from our current catalogue, and all four boards are 4 1/4" (108mm) wide and 3/4" (19mm) thick.
One pattern is worth knowing before you compare boards. Of our 41 solid hardwood listings, 26 print a sheen in the title and all 26 say semi gloss. The other 15, from Lauzon and MKB, leave it out, so check the product page. The Appalachian range alone spans $5.09 to $6.99 per sq ft across 26 listings, 22 of which are in stock.
Sheen levels, and which one shows less wear
Sheen describes how much light comes back off the floor, and that decides how visible fine scratches are. Here is how the association separates the four levels.
| Sheen | Association wording | How easily small scratches show |
|---|---|---|
| Gloss | "Gloss finishes offer the most shine and reflect the most light." | Most noticeable of the four |
| Semi-gloss | "Semi-gloss finishes offer some shine and reflect some light." | Less noticeable than gloss |
| Satin | "Satin finishes offer less light reflection." | Less noticeable than semi-gloss |
| Matte | "Matte finishes offer the least shine and reflect the least light." | Least noticeable of the four |
The last column follows the association's rule: "The less sheen, the less you will notice small scratches and other normal wear." So a matte or satin floor tends to look tidier in a busy hallway than a gloss floor does, even when the species is identical.
The Appalachian boards sit in the middle of that scale. Semi gloss returns some light, and it is the sheen printed on all 26 Appalachian listings, including the Natural Red Oak Excel Grade Semi Gloss at $101.87 per box. If you want less reflection than that, check each listing's finish wording while you shortlist, and read our notes on how textured and smooth surfaces compare.
What 500 sq ft of each board costs in material
We price material the same way on every quote: add 5% for cuts, divide the waste-adjusted area by the coverage per box, round up to whole boxes, then multiply by the box price. A 500 sq ft floor becomes 525 sq ft, which is what the box counts below are based on.
| Board | Boxes for 525 sq ft | Box price | Material for 500 sq ft | Material per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Natural Hard Maple | 28 | $132.11 | $3,699.08 | $7.40 |
| Appalachian Natural Red Oak | 28 | $101.87 | $2,852.36 | $5.70 |
| Lauzon Essential Hard Maple Sapphir | 31 | $99.80 | $3,093.80 | $6.19 |
| MKB Red Oak Epicea Character | 31 | $118.83 | $3,683.73 | $7.37 |
Both Appalachian boards come 18.9 sq ft to the box, so both need 28 boxes for 525 sq ft, yet the Prestige Grade Maple lands at $846.72 more for the same 500 sq ft because it is $1.60 per sq ft above the Excel Grade Red Oak. At $99.80, the Lauzon Sapphir has a smaller box price than the other three, but its 17.0 sq ft box means 31 boxes against 28, so a lower box price is not the same thing as a lower room cost.
Installation, removal, trim, delivery and HST are not included here. Our hardwood flooring price guide shows how those lines are built.
How to choose a finish and a sheen
The association calls sheen "a matter of personal preference and lifestyle", but a few rules narrow the choice.
- Choose the chemistry for upkeep. The manufacturer notes varnishes "also require less cleaning and care than oil systems", while an oil finish trades more routine care for local repairs.
- Choose the sheen for the room. Marks show less as sheen drops, so step down from semi gloss in a busy hallway or kitchen; a quiet dining room can carry more shine.
- Check what the board already says. A factory finish is fixed by the time the box reaches you, so the sheen on the product page is the sheen you get.
- Read the surface line, not only the colour. The MKB Red Oak Epicea Character is described as "surfaced in a smooth factory finish" with no sheen level printed, so set it beside a semi gloss Appalachian board before deciding between them.
If species or grade is still open, see our species, grades and finishes guide and then the character grade compared with select grade. Both cover questions this page leaves alone.
Questions about hardwood floor finishes and sheen
What does semi gloss mean on a hardwood floor?
Semi gloss is the middle of the sheen range: it returns part of the light that hits the floor, so it looks brighter under a window than satin or matte. It is also the only sheen named in any of our 41 solid hardwood titles.
Does a matte floor hide scratches better than semi gloss?
Yes, by the association's own rule: lower sheen makes small scratches and normal wear harder to see, and matte is the lowest of the four levels. None of our solid hardwood titles prints matte, so if that look is the goal, read the finish line on each product page before you order.
Is satin or matte better for a busy hallway?
Both sit below semi gloss, so both hide everyday marks better than a shinier floor. Matte reflects the least light of any level, which makes it the safer pick if hiding wear is the priority. Satin keeps a slight glow if a flat surface looks too dull to you.
Does the finish change the price per square foot?
Not on its own. Prices in our catalogue follow the board: the Appalachian Natural Red Oak Excel Grade and the MKB Red Oak Epicea Character are both Red Oak, yet they sit $1.60 per sq ft apart because they come from different brands in different grades.
Are your prefinished boards oiled or polyurethane coated?
Each product page answers that for its own board. The Lauzon Essential listing names an aluminum oxide coating, a finish type the association places at the factory. Our Appalachian pages state a semi gloss finish and the MKB page a smooth factory finish, without naming the chemistry underneath, and none of the four listings describes an oil finish.
Get a hardwood floor finish quote in Toronto and the GTA
Send us your rooms, the board you like and what is on the floor now, and we will build the same box-count estimate with your measurements. You can request a quote online, or browse the full solid hardwood flooring range to shortlist colours first.
Top Floorings Depot
3781 Victoria Park Avenue, Unit 1, Toronto, ON M1W 3K5
www.topfloorings.com
Call: 416-499-0117
Text: 416-770-8819