A commenter recently asked how to see the sheen differences of a certain hardwood floor finish. I couldn’t really help at the time since I didn’t have anything online. That of course got me thinking, how can I show the difference between all of the different floor finish sheens to our online customers???

Let’s start with a brief overview first. All Wood Floor Finishes are created Gloss, very, very shiny. Then, Flattening Agents are added to the finish to make the sheens lower. They even add small amounts of these agents to gloss, which brings the sheen level down ever so slightly so the floor finish is a little more durable, and not so slippery. These flattening agents are one the the most important reasons to stir your floor finish before, and during, the finish application.

• General Floor Finish Sheen Level Percentages
• Gloss: 75 - 85% Sheen Level
• Semi Gloss: 45 - 55%
• Satin: 35 - 35%
• Matte/Flat: 15 - 25%

The above list is a generalization of the sheen levels of wood floor finish. Results may vary depending on a number of factors, including what the manufacturer deems the correct percentage. How fine you sand the floor; how many coats of finish you put on; what type of wood flooring; how many coats of sealer and/or floor finish; will all effect the sheen level of your floor finish.

Below are a couple of pictures of sheen boards that we had lying around the contractor counter. I tried to take them on an angle to show how the sheen is reflected in the sunlight.

Synteko Pro Series Polyurethane Floor Finish Sheen Chart

Duraseal X-Terra Hardwood Floor Finish Sheen Chart