SUPPLY & FIT · DUNFERMLINE & FIFE

MATERIAL GUIDE

Smoked, Brushed & Oiled Oak Finishes

Two identical oak boards can look entirely different depending on how they were treated. Understanding the four common processes — smoking, brushing, oiling and lacquering — is the fastest way to choose a floor you will still like in five years.

SMOKING
Reacts with tannin to darken the timber right through, not a surface stain
BRUSHING
Wire brushes out soft grain to raise texture and hide scuffs
HARDWAX OIL
Matt, natural, repairable in patches — needs periodic re-oiling
LACQUER
Tougher surface film, low maintenance, harder to spot-repair

Oil or lacquer — the real decision

Hardwax oil sits in the timber rather than on it. Scratches can be cleaned and re-oiled locally without re-sanding the room, which is a genuine advantage in a house with dogs. In return it wants a maintenance coat every few years in busy areas.

Lacquer forms a film. It resists scuffing better day to day, but when it does wear through in a doorway, the repair is a full re-sand and re-coat of that area, and the patch will show.

Why brushed floors hide more

Brushing removes the soft early wood and leaves the harder grain proud. That texture breaks up light so scratches and paw marks scatter instead of catching as a straight line. If you have pets, a brushed and oiled floor is far more forgiving than a smooth lacquered one.

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