Glossy Vs Matte Hardwood Floors

High gloss dark stained floors will scratch and show dirt easily.

Glossy vs matte hardwood floors.

There are 4 levels of hardwood floor finish sheens. There is a myth that a high gloss floor will stand up to scuffs and scratches but in fact the high sheen actually shows scratches more than a matte or satin finish. Another important choice that should never go overlooked is whether you install high gloss semi gloss or matte hardwood floors. The shinier your floor the more it will show scratches.

We can also finish any product shown on the site with a more formal 40 semi gloss level. At the bottom of the spectrum is matte which is considered the dullest and usually used in high traffic areas. Sheen is the amount of reflection that is produced from a finish. With this said it seems that a glossier floor tends to look like it wears down faster.

However the much less shiny matte finish is ideal if you want your wood finish to look more natural. High glass can bounce around 75 of a room s light making it appear brighter but it can also make the wood look less natural or as real. Matte typically refers to gloss levels in the twenty percent range offering an enhanced shine from 10. No matter what finish whether matte satin glossy and semi glossy are the same in durability.

Satin is considered a medium gloss and the most popular giving hardwood a glossy tone that isn t considered over the top. Apparently even installers believe this is true in some situations. High gloss delivers higher levels of reflection and thus more sheen whereas matte creates almost no reflection and is considered to have the lowest level of sheen. So with that in mind whilst there are 4 different levels of hardwood floor finish sheens.

Matte satin semi gloss and glossy in this article where going to look at the two trending finishes of late matte vs satin. Semi gloss aka medium gloss comes in near the middle satin finish is gaining in popularity falling between matte and semi gloss for sheen. Matte satin semi gloss glossy from least shiny to most shiny the sheen measures how shiny or glossy your floor s finish is. Low matte often refers to gloss levels in the ten percent range.

Semi gloss is the highest of the three and will give your floor a shiny appeal. The main purpose of a matte finish is to make hardwood floors appear more natural. Different people have different preferences. In all honesty most hardwoods whether glossy or not are equally durable.

Matte has almost no reflection and the lowest level of sheen and high gloss has higher levels of reflection and sheen. It offers a very dull look. They will not bounce back a lot of light.