A hardwood floor with a trendy finish applied by Footprints Floorss' hardwood floor repair specialists in Atlanta, GA.

Trends in Hardwood Floor Finishes for 2024

July 01, 2024

Hardwood floors are a timeless choice for any home. However, the finish you choose can impact the look and feel of your floors. Keeping up with the latest trends in hardwood floor finishes helps you make an informed decision that enhances your home's style.

2024 Trends

At Footprints Floors, we pride ourselves on staying ahead of the curve with our team of hardwood floor repair specialists in Atlanta, GA. Read on to see the hottest trends in hardwood floor finishes for 2024.

Why Refinish?

Before exploring trends, you might question whether refinishing your floors is necessary at all. Hardwood floors are renowned for their reliability, but even the sturdiest floors can show signs of wear and tear over time. Beyond simply following the latest design trends, refinishing your hardwood floors offers numerous benefits that improve your home’s interior.

Here are some reasons to consider refinishing your hardwood floors:

Improved Appearance: Over time, hardwood floors can become dull, scratched, or dated. Refinishing these surfaces can restore the wood's original beauty and luster. With various finish options available, you can update your floors to match contemporary styles and personal tastes.
Increased Home Value: Well-maintained hardwood floors are a sought-after feature in real estate. Refinishing your floors can increase your home's market value and appeal to potential buyers. It's a cost-effective way to impact your property’s aesthetics and marketability.
Longevity and Durability: Refinishing helps to protect the wood from damage and wear. By adding a new layer of protective coating, you extend the life of your floors, making them more resistant to scratches, dents, and moisture. This maintenance can defer the need for more expensive repairs or complete replacements in the future.
Cost-Effective Maintenance: Once refinished, hardwood floors are easier to clean and maintain. Modern finishes reduce the need for frequent deep cleans and can be simply maintained with regular sweeping and cleaning, saving you time and money on supplies and services.
Healthier Living Environment: Refinishing your floors can also improve the indoor air quality of your home by removing old stains and finishes that may harbor allergens and bacteria. A fresh finish limits the accumulation of dust, mold, and mildew, creating a healthier living environment for you and your family.
Customization: Refinishing offers the opportunity to customize the appearance of your floors according to your current tastes and trends without the need for complete floor replacement. Whether you desire a matte, satin, or gloss finish or want to incorporate advanced techniques like UV-cured or LED-cured finishes, refinishing allows you to personalize your space to reflect your unique style.

Popular Refinishing Techniques

Investing in a high-quality, long-lasting finish ensures your floors will look great for years to come. Today's popular refinishing techniques cater to different preferences and needs, keeping up with the latest trends in flooring.

Oil-Based Finish

Oil-based finishes are a traditional choice that has regained popularity for their classic appeal. These finishes are made from a combination of natural oils and resins that penetrate deep into the wood, providing a strong finish.

Advantages:

High durability
Deep, rich color
Strong protective layer
Lasting beauty and resilience

Water-Based Finish

Water-based finishes are an increasingly popular choice for hardwood floors due to their eco-friendly nature and quick drying times. These finishes typically comprise water as the primary solvent and other compounds like polyurethane or acrylic. They provide a clear, durable layer that elevates the natural beauty of the wood while protecting it from wear and tear.

Advantages:

Eco-friendly with low VOC emissions
Quick drying times
Minimal odor
Clear, natural appearance
Adds less of an amber tone than other finishes while staying more true to the wood’s original color
Easy cleanup with soap and water
Provides UV resistance, which slows the darkening of certain wood species when exposed to sunlight

UV-Cured Finish

UV-cured finishes, an option typically found in factory-finished hardwood flooring, are at the forefront of finishing technology. These finishes typically involve a coating containing photoinitiators that react to UV light to harden quickly.

Advantages:

Resistant to wear and chemicals
Immediate usability after application
Low VOC emissions, making it environmentally friendly
High level of protection with fewer coats

LED-Cured Finish

LED-cured finishes are quickly becoming popular in hardwood floor refinishing. This innovative approach uses hardwax oil to combine the aesthetic benefits of a penetrating oil finish with the efficiency and durability of LED curing technology.

Advantages:

Fast curing time
Environmentally friendly with low VOC emissions
Enhances the natural look and feel of the wood
Easy to maintain and repair
Provides excellent protection against moisture and scratches

Color Trends

As we move into 2024, the trends in hardwood floor finishes are showcasing a range of colors catering to various aesthetic preferences and interior design styles.

Natural and Light Finishes: Natural and light-colored finishes continue to be popular for their ability to make spaces feel open and airy. These finishes highlight the wood's natural beauty and create a warm, inviting atmosphere. Light tones such as blonde and honey look to be particularly trendy this year.
Gray Washed: Gray-washed finishes are in demand for their modern and versatile appearance, which complements both bright and muted color schemes. This finish is especially suitable for urban settings or minimalist designs.
Dark and Bold Colors: For those looking to make a statement, dark and bold finishes, such as deep browns, espresso, and black, are a strong choice. These finishes can add a sense of elegance to any room.
Two-Tone Finishes: This trend is becoming popular for its ability to add visual interest and contrast to hardwood floors. By using two different finishes on the same floor, such as a dark border with a light center or alternating planks of varying tones, homeowners can highlight unique architectural features and bring a contemporary touch to any room.

From matte to gloss, natural to bold colors, and innovative techniques, these trends for 2024 offer something for every home’s design. At Footprints Floors, our hardwood floor repair specialists in Atlanta, GA are committed to providing expert advice and top-notch hardwood flooring services.

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Key Takeaways

Refinishing hardwood floors is a cost-effective way to refresh your space and extend the life of your flooring
There are multiple finishing and color options available. The best choice depends on your style, maintenance preferences, and desired look.

Introduction
Why Refinish?
Popular Refinishing Techniques
Color Trends

Noel Brewick

Sandy Springs Owner

I have been the proud owner of the Footprints Floors Sandy Springs / Alpharetta area franchise since 2019. I was born and raised in Mitchell, South Dakota (home of the world’s only Corn Palace!). My wife Laura and I have resided in Sandy Springs since 2013 and are blessed with two beautiful daughters, ages eight and ten. I attended the University of South Dakota, majoring in business administration and was captain of the swim team. After college I moved to Denver and was employed by Sherwin-Williams Paint Company for five years before transitioning into the bedding industry. For 22 years prior to Footprints Floors, I was employed by Serta Simmons Bedding Company in six different cities across the country. I served in a wide range of positions in both sales and finance, from account manager Director of National Accounts and VP of sales.

My most enjoyable part about being a part of Footprints Floors is working with customers to make their flooring dreams a reality! My guiding principle is to only recommend products or processes that will achieve the customers vision while also staying in budget and adding value and beauty to their home. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family, keeping up with my daughter’s various activities, golf, swimming and travel.

About The Author

Matt Therriault

Peachtree City Owner

Matt Therriault is the proud owner of the Footprints Floors Peachtree City and is no stranger to the home renovation industry. After moving to Atlanta from Chicago with his wife and two daughters about 7 years ago, Matt started a business called Peachtree City Home Rescue, and began working small remodeling jobs all over southern Georgia. Matt is a former firefighter, paramedic, and professional renovation expert. He uses his extensive knowledge of the flooring industry, as well as his skills in communicating with customers and individuals in the community to ensure that every customer not only has a great looking floor after the project, but that the experience as a whole is a memorable professional one. He has high standards of honesty, integrity and professionalism and brings these with him to every project and every customer he interacts with. Matt enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters and is excited to expand the Footprints Floors quality, experience, and service to the Southern Georgia area.

About The Author

Tim Busbee

Northern Atlanta Owner

Tim Busbee is the proud owner of Footprints Floors of Northern Atlanta serving the area from Marietta to Cumming and North Georgia. Born and raised in Savannah, GA, Tim graduated from Georgia Southern University with a BA in Marketing and then moved to Atlanta to pursue his professional career. While in Atlanta, Tim met his wife, Dani, who is an accomplished equestrian rider who competes, trains horses, and coaches students in a variety of English disciplines. Tim and Dani are now living in Woodstock GA with their two beautiful children Avery & Miles.

Prior to joining the Footprints Floors family, Tim spent the previous 10+ years of his professional career in Corporate America with Enterprise Holdings where he rose through the leadership ranks, ran multiple territories, mentored hundreds of employees, and received accolades for his teams' high level of customer service performance. Tim is excited to bring his many years of customer-centric service, professionalism, and integrity to the local flooring industry in Northern Atlanta.

In his free time, Tim is an avid Atlanta sports fanatic, loves being outdoors, doing anything competitive and he especially loves spending time with his family and making his kids laugh!

About The Author

Kevin Moore

East Atlanta & Duluth Owner

I spent most of my professional career as an I.T. Professional Services Program Manager. I have worked for many great companies such as IBM, Cisco, The Home Depot, Synamedia and BetterCloud to name a few. After my wife was brave enough to make a career change from Corporate Accounting to an AMI Certified Montessori Teacher (and loves it!), I decided that it was time for me to make a change as well. I have always been an active DIY'r and HGTV junkie and felt that I missed my true calling for construction management. After searching for several years, I decided to make a career change and opened my Footprints Floors franchise in 2021. I really enjoy helping my customers complete their projects to improve on their most important asset; their home. I believe that all customers deserve an honest, reputable and fair contractor that will aspire to deliver 5 star results. Those are the principles that guide me daily.

I have a wonderful wife, 2 young adult children, 2 cats, a sassy Husky and have resided in the Atlanta Metro area for the past 18 years. I am an avid runner and also love to roller skate, hike, kayak and play in the dirt.

About The Author