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Ben Wragg - Flooring Specialist

0409 997 785

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Solutions

Lighter natural look for timber floors prone to yellowing.

In recent years, there has been a trend among homeowners requesting a lighter, more natural appearance for their timber floors, without the undesirable yellow/golden hue that many timber floors in Victorian homes develop after exposure to sunlight. There's good reason for this, as darker/yellower floors tend to show dust, marks, and scratches more prominently, especially in rooms with larger windows where timber floors can become very yellow over time.

Until recently, the only methods to lighten floors were white wash or lime wash. However, these methods often resulted in a painted look when directly applied to the floor, or if the whitener was added to the finish, it created a cloudy, blotchy appearance. Additionally, as the floor wore in high-traffic areas, the added whitener became noticeable.

Due to the increasing popularity of lighter natural floors worldwide, most water-based floor manufacturers now produce primers containing pigments that lighten the floor with a natural look. We use the Bona white primer, which is applied directly to the raw sanded timber. This primer highlights the grain like a stain would, lightening the timber while maintaining an almost identical colour tone to the non-coated timber. Furthermore, this pigment significantly protects the timber from yellowing or changing over time due to UV light exposure.

In recent years, water-based floor finish manufacturers have also introduced new ultra-matte, raw, or invisible finishes that have virtually no sheen at any angle. These ultra-flat finishes are perfectly matched to be applied over the pigmented primers, giving the timber a completely natural look.

These finishes are excellent at hiding dents and scratches, which may only become noticeable when the floor is wet and the marks show temporarily due to the sheen of the water. However, as the floor dries, these marks disappear and are not noticeable from any angle.

It's important to note that water-based finishes being non-yellowing do not prevent the floors from yellowing over time due to ambient UV light. Timber floors with non-yellowing water-based finishes tend to develop a straw-coloured yellow over time, while those coated with yellowing solvent-based polyurethane finishes tend to take on a browner, more golden-yellow hue.

We do not recommend using these ultra-flat finishes without the use of a pigmented primer to lighten the floor, as the flat finish tends to highlight footprints and smudges, particularly on darker timber.

We apply two coats of the Bona white primer to prevent the yellow or pink coloration in the timber and keep it lighter, without whitewashing the floor. Then, we apply two coats of the clear, durable Bona Traffic Raw HD (four coats total). We choose this finish because it remains unaffected by UV light, unlike many water-based finishes that may yellow slightly or become opaque when exposed to large amounts of UV light. Additionally, the Traffic HD Raw finish meets Australian standards for slip resistance, making it suitable for wet areas. This is especially beneficial for maintaining consistency in sheen between floors and stairs to meet slip resistance compliance standards on new builds.

This finish is best suited for all blonde species of timber, such as Tasmanian oak, Baltic pine, Radiata pine, Cypress pine, Messmate, Wormy chestnut, Victorian Ash, and Silver top ash. Please take a look at our gallery for beautiful photos showcasing all the above timbers treated with our four-coat system.

Slide for Before and After