Engineered wood floor in kitchen dinner - seal or waxoil?

[bmoon]

Hi all,

Sorry if these have been answered already. I did a quick search but could not find the direct answer, hence the new thread.

Planning to float 14mm engineered wood flooring with click fitting in our kitchen&dinner (new build house). The first decision to make is whether I should use 'lacquered' or 'hardwax oiled'. For 'lacquered', I remember I read somewhere the edges between the planks need to be sealed with transparent silicon to prevent water from getting into the gaps and damaging the clicking system. This makes me tempted to choose 'hardwax oiled'.

So my first question is, would 'hardwax oil' be good enough to seal the edges? (I plan to use the OSMO original hardwax oil.)

Second question is, if I am to apply the hardwax oil myself, should I get the 'unfinished' wood flooring?

The last question probably does not suit here but in case anyone has an answer... is OSMO hardwax oil safe enough for a pregnant lady (not me)

Thanks very much for any advice.

Best,
BM

 

[crazydaze]

1st Question = No

2nd Question = Yes

The finish of he top surface wont mke much if any difference to the edges of the floor.

A lacquered finish will give you a fit and forget floor, awipe down with a laminate floor cleaner and it should clean up lovely.

A UV Oiled floor will be similar but can be affected by tide marks from moisture and marks more than a lacquered floor.

An unfinished floor will require the most upkeep and regular re-finishing to keep in great condition but will give the most natural and aesthetically pleasing finish.

With any of the above floors, you can use a sealing product on the joint to help protect moisture ingression but it needs to be used sparingly and won't stop damage.

Always use the correct cleaners, and never wash or mop the floor.

 

[bmoon]

1st Question = No

2nd Question = Yes

The finish of he top surface wont mke much if any difference to the edges of the floor.

A lacquered finish will give you a fit and forget floor, awipe down with a laminate floor cleaner and it should clean up lovely.

A UV Oiled floor will be similar but can be affected by tide marks from moisture and marks more than a lacquered floor.

An unfinished floor will require the most upkeep and regular re-finishing to keep in great condition but will give the most natural and aesthetically pleasing finish.

With any of the above floors, you can use a sealing product on the joint to help protect moisture ingression but it needs to be used sparingly and won't stop damage.

Always use the correct cleaners, and never wash or mop the floor.

Thanks so much for your detailed reply crazydaze.

Considering my pregnant mrs, I've decided to go for the wax oiled floor (rather than unfinished) so we don't need to oil the floor again very soon. According to what you said about sealing, I'd probably skip the sealing process for now and try to use the kitchen area with care.

Thanks again for your helpful advice.