Oiled vs lacquered wood flooring – Which is better?

One of the features of wood flooring you may not have considered until you’ve ordered it is the finish. After all, there are a few different options for wooden flooring to choose between, including oiled, lacquered, and unfinished. It may seem a little overwhelming at first, but we’re here to help break down the finer details.

Here at Tapi, you don’t need to worry about which finish to choose from, as our flooring comes pre-finished before we deliver it to your door to be fitted. But if you’re working with different flooring, check out our top tips below.

We’ll take you through the differences and benefits of oiled vs lacquered wood flooring, including how they work. We’ll cover key flooring maintenance considerations, as well as which finish might perform best in different areas of the home. So, read on if you’re thinking of installing engineered wood into your living room, hallway, dining room, kitchen or bedroom.

In this guide:

• Oiled vs lacquered wood flooring finishes: What’s the difference?
• Oil or lacquer wood floor: Which finish is better for different rooms in your home?
• How to choose between oiled or lacquered engineered wood flooring at Tapi

Oiled vs lacquered wood flooring finishes: What’s the difference?

If you’re wondering whether to choose an oil or lacquer wood floor finish, it’s helpful to consider each option individually. Each finish has distinctly different benefits and looks. Read on as we explain the key differences of both, as well as what they might look like on engineered wood flooring:

Oiled flooring

An oiled flooring finish is where flooring oil soaks into the wood, accentuating its natural colour and wood rings and giving your flooring a more traditional and authentic look. The oil penetrates deep into the core of the wood, but doesn’t fill up any of the pores, so the wood can still breathe properly. This also helps to reduce the risk of warping or cracking as the flooring ages.

An oiled flooring finish on engineered wood looks matte, and if you apply a wax varnish, it can give it a slight satin finish too. Generally, oiled flooring finishes can be less slippery than lacquer, which may be ideal for busy households with pets or children.

Here are some of the main differences when it comes to maintaining a wooden floor with an oil finish:

• The greatest advantage of oiled flooring is that you can make very quick spot repairs to areas with minor damage, such as a scuff or a mark. Simply sand that part of the floor down and reapply the oil – this is a great time saver as you don’t need to re-finish the entire floor, especially if it's in a more complicated pattern like herringbone engineered wood.
• Oiled floors need to be re-finished as regularly as every six months.
• As the oil penetrates the wood, it helps to maintain the unique appearance of the knots in the planks beneath. Using an oil finish can also help enhance the natural aging process of the wood.
• While they don’t create as much of a surface barrier as lacquered floors, oil finishes can improve your floor’s moisture resistance by filling the wood pores. 
• Oil also makes your floor anti-static, which means it won’t collect dust quickly.
• Oiled flooring needs to be cleaned very regularly with specialist products so as not to soak up any of the oil in the wooden boards. It’s worth noting that cleaning with water will eventually lift the oil surface, and you may need to re-finish your floors even more regularly!

Lacquered flooring

A lacquered flooring finish acts like a varnish. It sits on top of the wood but doesn’t sink into the board like oil finishes do. Lacquered finishes often have much more of a shine than oiled finishes, although some lacquered finishes can still have a low-shine mat effect.

Typically, gym floors and dance halls were often finished with lacquer because the finish was so strong and could hold up against the impact of hundreds of feet. This makes it ideal for high-traffic areas of the home, such as hallways, living rooms and kitchens.

Here are a few key maintenance and performance factors to consider when comparing lacquered vs oiled floor options:

• Lacquered flooring finishes generally last longer than oil finishes. In comparison to oiled floors, you should only need to re-finish lacquered flooring every 10 to 15 years at most.
• Lacquered flooring also stands up best against spills and stains, as they won’t reach the wooden boards through the tough lacquer if wiped up quickly.
• This also helps to create a protective barrier that prevents excess dirt and debris from penetrating the wood planks.
• However, due to its glossy finish, lacquered flooring tends to show scratches and scuffs easier than oiled flooring.
• The lacquer doesn’t sink in and treat the wood beneath like an oil finish. This means lacquered floors require daily sweeping to help prevent wear and tear and keep them in great condition.

Oil or lacquer wood floor: Which finish is better for different rooms in your home?

Now that you know the difference between oil vs lacquered wood flooring finishes, you can start thinking about which finish you’d prefer in your space. If you’d like more guidance on how each finish might perform in different areas of your house, check out our recommendations below:

Lacquered vs oiled floor: living room

Your living room floor is not as likely to see lots of busy feet passing over it as your hallway, so opting for an oiled floor finish here will help highlight the beautiful, engineered wood floors in your space.

An oiled finish can help to preserve the make-up of your engineered wood top layer, which is made of solid wood, as it seeps into every layer. It will also help to preserve the authenticity of the look and feel of the wood.

Lacquered vs oiled floor: hallway

Your hallway is one of the busiest areas in your home, with many feet passing through at all times. With the gradual wear and tear of shoes, bringing in shopping bags, and greeting visitors, your hallway flooring requires an extra layer of protection. This area of the home needs flooring that can handle all that action, so opting for a lacquered floor finish can help protect your engineered wood flooring.

It’s also much easier to keep flooring in this area of the home well-maintained and clean. Simply sweep it with a soft brush and clean it with a slightly damp (almost dry) mop.

Lacquered vs oiled floor: dining room

Your dining room is another area of the home that can get very busy, with daily meals, homework, working from home, and chores often occurring around the dining table.

Lacquered floors are best at coping with the impact of lots of feet passing through a space. However, oiled flooring finishes can help hide any marks from chair and scrapes, so it really depends on what you’re more concerned about.

We’d opt for lacquered floor to help keep your floor protected for longer. Scrape marks are inevitable in dining rooms with wooden floors, so you may as well aim to protect your floor with a rug and a lacquered finish.

Lacquered vs oiled floor: kitchen

As the heart of the home, kitchens are high-traffic spaces. Your kitchen flooring needs to be up to the challenge of daily footfall, as well as potential liquid spills and food stains. Choosing kitchen engineered wood flooring with a lacquered finish can offer more durability day-to-day, shielding your floors from liquid and dirt buildup with a stronger surface barrier than most oil finishes.

However, if you’re looking for even more protection for your flooring, luxury vinyl tile can deliver the appearance of real wood flooring with superior water resistance. Perfect for busy kitchens and utility spaces.

Lacquered vs oiled floor: bedroom

It’s highly unlikely there will be many people walking around your bedroom, especially in shoes, so you can feel more at ease with using oiled floor finish on engineered wood flooring in bedroom spaces.

Opting for oiled flooring will be much more luxurious too. You’ll be able to feel the genuine wood underneath your feet, which some people may prefer on bare feet rather than feeling the smooth finish of lacquered floors.

How to choose between oiled or lacquered engineered wood flooring at Tapi

If you’re considering oil or lacquer wood floor designs, there are lots of options to choose from – whether you prefer classic oak engineered wood or a subtle grey engineered wood. That’s right, you can browse various colour stains that will further enhance the grain of the wood!

Still uncertain about whether engineered wood is right for you? Check out our complete guide to engineered wood to learn more about its advantages and characteristics. Alternatively, head on over to our Ideas Hub for tons more inspiration, including guides on different types of flooring finishes and how to style engineered wood in your kitchen.

Why not pop down to your local Tapi store with a free store appointment and speak to our floorologists about our services? Browse our newest flooring options and get personalised recommendations based on your dream flooring ideas. Alternatively, you can even book a free home visit where we can measure your space and let you know what flooring finish would work best for you.