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Lacquered Wood Care Guide
Care guide 3 min read

Lacquered Wood Care Guide

Caring for a lacquered wood floor. What the film does, why prevention matters more than repair here, and what to do when the surface is damaged.

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On this page
  1. How a lacquered finish works
  2. Everyday cleaning
  3. Protecting the film
  4. When the surface is damaged
  5. Questions about lacquered floors
01

How a lacquered finish works

Lacquer forms a clear film over the timber. You walk on the film, not on the wood. That film is tough, it resists spills well, and it is the reason a lacquered floor copes so well with a family kitchen or a busy hallway.

It also changes what a scratch means. On an oiled floor a scratch is in the wood and can be filled with oil. On a lacquered floor a scratch is a break in the film, and the film cannot be blended in one spot without showing. Repairs are done by whole area, usually wall to wall or at least door to door.

Good to know: This is why prevention matters more on a lacquered floor. It resists more, but when it is marked the fix is a bigger job.
02

Everyday cleaning

Simple, and easier than an oiled floor.

Sweep or vacuum often
Grit is still the main enemy. The film is hard, but grit is harder.
Use a lacquer cleaner
A cleaner made for lacquered or sealed floors. It cleans without leaving residue.
Damp mop only
The film resists water on the surface, but the joints between boards do not.
No oil products
Oil soaps and wood oils cannot penetrate the film. They sit on it and leave a smeared, dull layer.
Important: Avoid polish and wax on a lacquered floor. They build up, dull the sheen unevenly, and have to be stripped off before the floor can ever be recoated.
03

Protecting the film

Almost every lacquer repair we hear about traces back to one of these four.

Mats at external doors
Long enough for several steps. This is the single most effective thing you can do.
Felt pads, checked yearly
A pad with grit trapped in it works like sandpaper.
Chair mats under castors
Narrow hard castors concentrate weight and cut straight through a film.
Never drag anything heavy
Lift appliances and furniture. A single drag mark can mean recoating the room.
04

When the surface is damaged

Be realistic about what can be done at home, because the wrong attempt makes the professional repair harder.

Light surface scuff
Often lifts with the correct cleaner and a soft cloth. Try this before anything else.
Scratch through the film
Touch up products exist, but the repair will usually catch the light differently.
Worn traffic route
Recoating by area. A patch will show as a change in sheen.
Water damage at a joint
Address the cause first. The board may need replacing rather than refinishing.
Our recommendation: Do not sand or abrade a small area in the hope of blending it. Abrading a lacquered surface changes the sheen permanently and makes the eventual recoat more work.
05

Questions about lacquered floors

Can I repair a scratch in a lacquered floor at home?
A surface scuff usually lifts with the correct cleaner. A scratch through the film is repaired by recoating the area, because a lacquer cannot be patched invisibly; sanding one spot and brushing on fresh lacquer leaves a visible edge. Where the floor is worn across a room, a professional sand and recoat is the answer.
Do lacquered floors need polishing?
No, and polish is the one product to keep away from them. Wax and polish build up on the film, dull unevenly, and have to be stripped before the floor can ever be recoated. A damp mop with the cleaner made for lacquered floors is the whole routine.
Is lacquer or oil the harder wearing finish?
Day to day the lacquer: the film resists spills and scuffs better and needs less attention. Over years the difference is in repair. An oiled floor is patched where it wears; a lacquered floor is recoated by area. Choose by how you want to look after it, not by the look on the first day.
How do I keep a lacquered floor from wearing through?
Grit is what cuts the film, so mats at every external door, frequent sweeping and felt under every furniture leg do more than any product. Recoat the high traffic areas before the film wears through to the wood; once bare timber shows, the repair becomes a sand.
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