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Thomasparketpro

03 · SERVICE · HARDWAX

Hardwax treatment

Hardwax oil combines the two worlds: oil that penetrates and wax that closes the surface. You get a floor that still looks matt and natural but shrugs off spills far better than pure oil.

  • SheenMatt or satin
  • Coats2 thin coats
  • WaterBeads on the surface
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A rotary buffing machine standing on freshly sanded pine floorboards in a long, narrow room

The full story

The practical middle between oil and lacquer

Hardwax oil is applied like oil — thin, worked in, surplus removed — but it leaves a microscopic wax layer on top. Water beads instead of soaking in, so the kitchen splash and the dog bowl stop being a problem, while the floor keeps the open, matt look people choose oil for.

For families this is usually the honest recommendation. Cleaning is a damp mop with a wax-compatible soap, worn routes can be refreshed locally, and you do not have the sealed, plastic feel of a lacquer film.

It is not indestructible. Sharp grit and unprotected chair feet still leave marks, and a hallway in a house with three bikes will want a refresh sooner than a bedroom. The difference is that a refresh means an afternoon, not a project.

Right for you if

  • A family floor, a kitchen or a hallway that meets water and shoes
  • You want a matt look with less maintenance than pure oil
  • You want local repairs to stay possible

On the day

How a hardwax job runs

  1. Sand and check

    The floor is sanded fine — hardwax is thin, so it shows every scratch left behind.

  2. First coat

    Applied and worked in per section, surplus removed before it sets. Thick spots stay sticky, so restraint matters.

  3. Light intermediate sand

    A fine screen knocks back raised grain so the second coat lies smooth.

  4. Second coat and cure

    A final thin coat, then a quiet room: no rugs, no furniture, windows on a crack.

Scope

What the quote covers — and what it does not

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

Included as standard

  • Fine sanding and preparation of the whole floor
  • Two thin hardwax coats with surplus removed
  • Light intermediate screening between coats
  • Matt or satin sheen chosen on a sample board
  • Wax-compatible soap and the weekly routine explained

Quoted separately

  • A third coat on thirsty, older or repaired boards
  • Pigmented hardwax colour upgrades
  • Repairs, gap wedging and board replacement
  • Commercial-grade build-up for heavy traffic

The result

Matt look, water-resistant surface

Drag the handle across the split to compare the tired original surface with the finished hardwax floor.

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The same oak floor by the red cupboard after treatment, even and light
Oak plank floor with a tired, patchy surface, beside a red cupboard and open doors to a patio
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.

Two kids, a dog and an open kitchen. Water beads on it and the yearly refresh in the hallway takes an afternoon.
Townhouse in Zwolle · 71 m² oak
Panelled room with clean, pale, evenly toned floorboards after sanding

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

    Priced per square metre, sanding and preparation included.

  2. Coat count

    Thirsty, older or repaired boards may need a third coat to look even.

  3. Colour

    Pigmented hardwax needs a more careful, slower application than a clear one.

  4. Traffic level

    A commercial or heavily used floor is specified with a tougher build-up.

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

Hardwax asks less of you than oil and more than lacquer — the routine is short but it should not be skipped.

First week

Air, do not wash

Ventilate, sweep, keep rugs off. Water on a curing wax layer leaves cloudy marks.

Weekly

Wax-compatible soap

Damp mop with the product supplied; all-purpose cleaners dull the wax.

Yearly

Refresh the routes

One maintenance coat in hallways and kitchens keeps the rest of the floor untouched for years.

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

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Want a matt floor that survives family life?

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