Satin. The poly is less current and can look plastic-y if not done right. The satin is a more sedate look and lets the wood look more organic/real IMHO.

I agree. You see the wood instead of the shine, which seems to be the point of having wood floors. Plus, any scratches or dings that interrupt the plane of the shine will show much more easily than on satin finish.

I think the color of your floors also makes a difference in your choice. We have v. dark floors (ebonized). We also have a dog, three cats and two children (now 6.5 & 4.5). When we had the hardwood installed four years ago we chose to have a satin finish because of the inevitable scratches from pets and (primarily) children's toys. (and all the scratches are from either the toys or things being pushed on the floor -- not a single one is from a pet)

Well, during Spring Break (while we're away) we're having them redone in a shinier finish, scratches be damned. The satin is dull -- we had an impeccable floor man do the work and they are *gorgeous*, even four years later. But the dark floors are just meant to be shinier.

So that's what we're going to do.

Here's our floor (with the satin finish) -- beautiful, but in real life it just reads flat.
{{!gwi}}

What type of finish is best?...

Well, actually...BOTH!!

If a final "Satin" look is desired, put down 3 or 4 coats of a Gloss.
THEN....the last coat of Satin.

Why??
Most flooring experts agree that the glossier the coating, the smoother and harder it is. That's why it appears glossy. That's why it's more durable....it's a little "tighter" film.
Satins aren't as shiny, because their surface is a little "rougher", therefore scattering more light, and thus not as shiny. Some satins are a little softer too.
>>> This is why lower sheens are a little more forgiving on the "visible scratches" front.
>>> However...Poly films, when scratched, "show white". Can't get away from this...it's just the way it is.

High-quality Tung-Oils don't have this tendency. Waterlox is a VERY good one for floors.
>>> You're out of your house for a WEEK though, waiting for the Waterlox film to "link up"/harden enough for traffic.
>>> By "link up", I mean the film is reacting with Oxygen in the air. Air changeover in the room is critical so new Oxygen is available to the coating.
>>> When finished though, it's a beautiful coating to behold!!

Faron

I had shiny finish put on the floors when they were installed nearly 6 years ago...the installer's recommendation. I loved the way they looked when new, and love them still....AND, have received tons on compliments on the floors --- select red birch, finished on site, with a shiny finish. Here are some photos.

Eleven years ago I would have agreed that satin is more attractive. Not any more. I've told this story here many times: We ordered satin for our kitchen and dining room, and every box was stamped satin finish. The installer arrived, hub and I left the house to get out of the way. When the installer opened the boxes, though, every one of them contained high gloss. He had already installed many boards before he noticed the problem, so he stopped and waited for us to return home. Reluctantly, we decided to go with the high gloss rather than wait in the mess for another two or three weeks for new wood to arrive and become adjusted to our humidity/conditions, etc.

As it turned out, it was an excellent mistake. It shows nothing, requires almost no maintenance other than an occasional swipe with a wet rag and vacuuming now and then. It looks absolutely beautiful, and in the eleven years it's been here I cannot tell you how many people have admired it, and even had it installed in their own homes! It certainly is not glaring, just lovely. It does not look plasticy, and the wood color and grain shows through beautifully.

It has held up amazingly well for these 11 years - we have a very busy household with many visitors and kids and dogs and cats and gkids, etc., and I cook a lot! The dining room is in the middle of the house so you cannot get anywhere else in the house without walking through it.

I wholeheartedly recommend high gloss for beauty and durability. I realize my floor is factory finished and yours will be site-finished, but I think the arguments for and against high gloss in a site-finished floor would be the same no matter what the finish.

I was writing while Beth was posting! My floor is very similar to hers, and I love mine, too! Beautiful, Beth!

I have semi gloss on my site finished stained white oak. I like the look of a shiny finish. For looks, I would have done gloss--but with kids, dog, and cats, I stuck with the semi gloss. We just had our floors installed, so I can't say whether they will hold up long term. Satin was not an option for me--way to dull for my personal taste.

My sister has at least a semi gloss on her walnut floors (the floors were there when she bought the house) and she doesn't like the sheen as it shows the scratches--but walnut is dark and soft--so with a different wood or lighter wood, it may not have been an issue. Myself, I really like the looks of her floor.

Count us among those who have gloss, and who have had many compliments on it.

We have two types of wood in our house, one with satin one with higher gloss and there's pros/cons to both. I agree it can depend on the wood you choose. High gloss does not show the dirt or spots at all. Satin is harder to take care of but is not as glary (in my opinion). Both are beautiful though!

We have both. The original red oak floors have gloss, the newer red oak has a satin finish. It's a personal choice.

To me the beauty of the wood is the warm, soft feeling - and the satin finish compliments that. Shiny finishes on wood just don't look natural or rich to me.

But that is just me- in the end, what matters in YOUR house is the look that YOU like!

I like a matte finish because I want my new floors to look, well, old - Like a 100-year old worn in wood floor!

We used a tung oil finish, but like Faron said above, the first 2 or 3 coats were glossy, and the last coat was satin.

I have had both and prefer the glossy.

Our refinisher uses a glossy coat, then a satin coat over that. When I suggested he do it that way (learned by watching This Old House!) he said he had always done it that way.

Scratches and such aside, it really depends on what you like to look at. Some people like shiny polished surfaces, others don't. No one else can decide that for you. I would consider which look fits in with the rest of your house and furnishings. I also agree that you should be careful about the gloss finish that's used so you don't wind up with a plastic look. Some do. I'd visit some stores to look at the various finishes on your wood type and color. I'd also have them prepare samples first.

I have satin, and I love it. Satin was a great compliment to our wood (one step above character grade white oak). I don't think I would appreciate the rustic nature of the grade oak nearly as much if my wormholes were shiny. :)

I don't like shiny surfaces. My granite fabricator finally talked me out of honed, but it was a fight. All my cabinetry has a satin finish. Matte or satin paint, except for trim which is just semigloss enough that I can scrub it clean.

I chose satin more for aesthetics. We aren't hard on our hardwood, so I wasn't too concerned about the longevity of one finish over another.

Even if you are not doing high gloss, if you are doing three coats, do the first two coats in high gloss, then top with satin or sem-gloss (whichever your choice).

I did a living room about three years ago, wanted semi-gloss and used it for all coats. A few months after, I learned about using the high gloss for the bottom coats. The reason for this is that there are additives to the poly to make the semi-gloss or satin look (think milky looking). By using the high gloss for the undercoats, you are allowing all of the grain of the wood to show through. Take my word for it - my floors are little more "opaque" or milky looking than I would like.

I learned this from several sources of professional woodworkers. Just wish I had found that little tid-bit of info before I did mine.

Tuesday

Thanks everyone!

I've had both and to this day, 2022, prefer a glossy floor. The satin looks dull, dirty and dusty all of the time. The gloss always looks cleaner....to me. Since it's such a personal decision try to view large areas of both. I have dogs and the gloss is still like new, no scratches and when I mop my floors with Bona Hardwood floor cleaner, the results always look like a newly installed floor. The satin floors seem to work best on farm house style decor or cabins where you get a more rustic look, if that helps anyone make a decision.