Lacquered timber floor maintenance
A lacquered floor has a clear sealed coat over the timber, so the whole job is to clean it gently and keep the coat looking fresh. Here is how to look after a lacquered floor and stretch the time between professional recoats.
A lacquered floor is sealed, so clean it, do not oil it: sweep or vacuum, then damp-mop with a pH-neutral wood-floor cleaner. When the busy areas dull, a refresher restores the sheen between professional recoats.
The refresher for a lacquered floor: Bona Wood Floor Refresher →
Clean it, do not oil it
Because the timber is sealed under a lacquer, you clean the surface rather than feed the wood. Sweep or vacuum to lift grit, then damp-mop with a pH-neutral wood-floor cleaner and a barely-damp mop. Keep oils and waxes off a lacquered floor, they sit on top of the coat rather than soaking in.
FirstFloor // Wood Floor Cleaner
Our own pH-neutral concentrate, suitable for lacquered and oiled floors.
Refresh the sheen between recoats
When the walked-on areas start to look dull, a refresher coat helps bring back the sheen and buys time before a full recoat. It is a job you can do at home: clean the floor, let it dry, then apply the refresher thinly and evenly.
Bona Wood Floor Refresher 1 Litre for Lacquered Floors
Bona's refresher renews the sheen on a lacquered floor between recoats.
Protect the high-traffic areas
Entryways, kitchens and hallways take the most wear. A protective maintenance coat on those busy areas adds a layer over the lacquer where it is needed most, and it is easier to top up a busy strip than to recoat the whole floor.
GrainGuard Lacquered Floor Protection (Mat)
A protective maintenance coat for high-traffic areas.
When a professional recoat is due
In a typical home a lacquered floor goes years between professional recoats, less in a busy household with kids and pets. The signs are a surface that looks worn and dull in the traffic lanes even after cleaning, and refreshers no longer bringing the sheen back. At that point a professional screen-and-recoat renews the wear layer without a full sand.
Common questions
Can I put oil on a lacquered floor?
No. A lacquered floor is sealed, so oil sits on the surface rather than soaking in. Clean it and, when it dulls, use a refresher, not an oil.
How do I know if my floor is lacquered?
A lacquered floor has a clear, even sealed coat with a light sheen, and water beads on top rather than soaking in. A quick water-drop test will confirm it.
How often should I refresh a lacquered floor?
When the busy areas start to look dull, not on a fixed schedule. Some homes refresh the traffic lanes once a year, others less often, depending on wear.
What cleaner should I use?
A pH-neutral wood-floor cleaner and a well-wrung mop. Skip vinegar, steam mops and harsh or high-alkaline cleaners, which can dull the coat over time.
Keep your lacquered floor looking new
Shop the range for a lacquered floor, or ask us what it needs.
