Skip to content
Thomasparketpro

04 · SERVICE · LACQUERING

Floor lacquering

Lacquer forms a closed film over the wood. It is the toughest, easiest-to-clean option and the one to choose for stairs, offices, shops and floors that will simply be mopped and used.

  • SheenMatt · satin · gloss
  • CoatsPrimer + 2–3
  • CleaningDamp mop
Request a free quoteCalculate floor area
Lacquer being rolled onto oak mosaic parquet, the coated part still wet and glossy, roller in the foreground

The full story

A sealed film for floors that get used hard

Water-based lacquer is rolled on in coats, each one sanded lightly between passes so the next lies flat. The result is a continuous layer that keeps water, sand and shoe soles away from the wood — which is why hallways, stairs and public spaces almost always end up lacquered.

You choose the sheen. Matt lacquer reads almost like oil from standing height, satin gives a soft depth, and gloss makes a room brighter but shows every footprint. Most homes land on matt or satin; shops often want the extra light.

The honest downside is repairability. A lacquer film wears as a whole, so a worn hallway is fixed by screening and recoating the whole area rather than dabbing one spot. That is planned maintenance rather than a surprise.

Right for you if

  • Stairs, hallways, offices, shops and rental properties
  • You want the lowest-effort cleaning routine
  • Pets, prams, sand and spilled water are part of daily life

On the day

How a lacquering job runs

  1. Sand and primer

    Fine sanding, then a primer that sets the colour depth and stops boards gluing sideways.

  2. Intermediate sanding

    The primer is screened so raised fibres do not end up locked into the top coats.

  3. Top coats

    Two to three coats rolled in one direction, edges cut in by hand, each coat left to dry properly.

  4. Curing and handover

    The floor is walkable the next day; rugs and heavy furniture wait until the film has hardened.

Scope

What the quote covers — and what it does not

No surprises on the invoice. This is the standard scope for a lacquering job; anything outside it is listed and priced separately before work starts.

Included as standard

  • Fine sanding and a primer coat
  • Intermediate screening of the primer
  • Two top coats, edges cut in by hand
  • Sheen chosen from matt, satin or gloss
  • Curing schedule and neutral cleaner advice

Quoted separately

  • A third top coat for hallways, shops or offices
  • Anti-slip additives and commercial systems
  • Stain or colour work under the lacquer
  • Repairs and levelling of the boards underneath

The result

Even sheen, edge to edge

Drag the handle to compare the dull, patchy original with the finished lacquered surface.

See more projects →
The same herringbone floor finished to a warm, deep orange-brown gloss
Herringbone parquet under a patchy, whitish layer of old coating, in a room with a large garden window
beforeafter

Finish options

Four ways to finish the same floor

Colour and sheen change how a room reads. Thomasparketpro brings samples so you can judge them on your own boards, in your own light.

  • Wide-plank light oak floor running towards garden doors, still at the finishing stage

    Natural oil

    MATT · WARM

    Deepens the wood a shade and keeps the grain open.

  • Pitch pine plank floor sanded back to a natural pale tone in a room with a bay window

    White oil

    MATT · LIGHT

    Holds back the yellow in oak and lifts a dark room.

  • Old pine floorboards sanded smooth and even, in front of tall panelled double doors

    Hardwax

    SATIN · TOUGH

    Looks like oil, resists water like a light lacquer.

  • An oak strip floor divided by a line of masking tape, raw sanded wood on one side and freshly lacquered wood on the other, roller in the foreground

    Lacquer

    MATT TO GLOSS

    A sealed film for stairs, hallways and shops.

Oil · hardwax · lacquer, side by side
PropertyOilHardwaxLacquer
LookMatt, open grainMatt or satinMatt, satin or gloss
Feel underfootLike bare woodWood with a closed topSealed film
Water and spillsWipe up promptlyBeads on the surfaceBest in class
Local repairSpot by spotRefresh a routeScreen the whole area
CleaningOil soap, damp mopWax soap, damp mopNeutral cleaner, damp mop
Refresh interval2–4 years3–5 years7–10 years

Sanding sits underneath all three — the choice is only about the finish on top.

It is a rental, so it had to survive tenants. Three years and four occupants later the matt lacquer has not been touched.
Apartment in Rotterdam · 48 m² oak strip
Large open-plan floor of oak mosaic parquet running from the living area into a white kitchen, with an edge sander parked at the wall

What drives the price

Priced per project, not per guess

Every quote is written after seeing the floor. These are the factors that move the number up or down, so you know what you are being asked about.

  1. Floor area

    Per square metre, including sanding, primer and the agreed number of coats.

  2. Number of coats

    A hallway or a shop floor is specified with an extra top coat over a bedroom.

  3. Sheen and system

    Matt and extra-matt lacquers and commercial-grade systems cost more per litre.

  4. Drying schedule

    Coats need hours between them; a floor that must be finished in one visit needs planning.

Start with the area

Measure your rooms in a minute — the total travels with your quote request, so the first reply already fits your project.

  • Multiple rooms in one total
  • Comma or period decimals
  • No account, no obligation
Open the floor area calculator

Afterwards

Keeping the finish

A lacquered floor is the easiest to keep and the least forgiving of neglect — protect the film and it lasts a decade.

First week

No rugs, no drags

The film hardens for days after it feels dry. Lift furniture in, do not slide it.

Weekly

Mop and felt pads

Damp mop with a neutral cleaner; felt pads under every chair leg do more than any product.

Every 7–10 years

Screen and recoat

Before the film wears through to bare wood, one screening and a fresh coat resets the floor.

Questions

Asked before every job

Something else on your mind? Ask it in the quote request — you get a written answer, not a call centre.

The machines extract at the source into sealed bags, so there is no cloud and no grey layer on your shelves. Expect a fine film in the first days — as with any work in a lived-in house — and doorways screened off while the machines run.

Often combined with

All services →

Need a floor that takes a beating?

Send the room measurements and a photo of the floor — you get an honest recommendation and a written quote.

Request a free quoteCalculate floor area