There are so many choices to make when selecting a wide plank floor for your project. Besides choosing a wide plank species, the type of flooring (engineered or solid), and the treatments and stains to apply to the floor, you have to choose the sheen level of your finish as well.
Hardwood floor finishes are generally available in gloss, semi-gloss, satin, and matte sheen levels. Matte finishes are the least glossy of the four.
Matte finishes can be a great choice for wide plank floors, especially with species that display beautiful natural characteristics. Since matte finishes do not have much gloss, they allow the natural character of the wood to shine through and speak for itself.
Anytime you would like to show off the natural character or color of the wood you have selected, it is best to choose a matte finish. Matte finishes enhance the rustic appeal of wood floors and enhance the natural appearance of wood floors, since wood is not naturally shiny or glossy. This makes it a good choice as well for distressed or reclaimed wide plank floors, which already have a rustic appeal. A matte finish can also attribute a more high-end look to darker wide plank floors.
Another good reason to choose a matte finish is to enhance the posterity of the wood. Since a matte finish reflects a much smaller amount of light compared to gloss, semi-gloss, and satin finishes, a matte finish can help hide the imperfections and keep your floors looking better for a longer period of time compared to glossy finishes.
Here are some examples of wide plank wood species which would do well with matte finishes.
Hickory
Hickory “Golden Oak” Wide Plank Floors
Natural-grade hickory hardwood floors typically contain numerous character markings and knots that make the wood truly stand out from any other species. The sapwood and the heartwood of the tree vary from a light, almost tan color, to a deep, rich brown. Choosing a matte finish for a hickory wide plank floor will allow these unique character markings and color variations to shine through.
Reclaimed Heart Pine
Reclaimed Heart Pine Wide Plank Floors
With this project in a beautiful beach house on Kiawah Island, South Carolina, a natural, matte
finish was chosen to showcase the natural beauty of the reclaimed heart pine planks, which display knots and beautiful burls, as well as the original patina of the wood. Click here to read more about this project.
Walnut
American Walnut Wide Plank Floors
American walnut flooring features unique markings, burls, graining patterns, and checking which would benefit from being showcased with a simple matte finish.
Walnut offers complex grain patterns which would be stifled with gloss or semi-gloss finish, making a matte finish the most natural choice.
Whether you would like to accentuate the natural beauty of your wide plank floors, create more posterity for your floors by minimizing the amount of damage that will show up on the finish, or enhance a rustic or high-end style in a room, a simple matte finish can make a great choice for many types of wide plank projects.
If you would like to learn more about the custom wide plank floors we have available, click here to browse our selection or call us at 877-697-5265.