Joyce-I love it! Thanks for sharing your pictures...you're home looks lovely and inviting. Do you find the matte finish easier or harder to care for than the satin?

Matte for me, too.

I'm not sure if it's easier to care for...I clean my floors on a regular basis regardless. But it definitely doesn't show things like a shiny floor does. Although we have no scratches at all on our floor, I would guess that they wouldn't show up as much either. Our floor guy had samples of different sheens, and he did tests in areas that would be under cabinets.

Good luck!!

we experimented with a couple finishes on samples we had....we decided to go with with the matte finish - doesn't have that plastic/poly look. Ours aren't installed yet, so no pics...sorry!

Polyurethane floor finishes are naturally clear, very glossy and very hard unless a cloudy additive is added to make it duller and softer. IMHO the best compromise between reflectivity and durability is a satin finish.

Another vote for matte!

What about the newer floor sealers? I think Boma makes one and there are some others. My floor guy likes them because they are much easier to touch up, which is important to me with 3 boys and a big dog. He also said that if you add a hardener to it, it can be even harder than oil based.

Well, I asked the floor guys about a matte finish and they said they don't do a matte. Satin is the lowest gloss they do...they did recommend satin at the beginning and said "it is the most beautiful". They don't speak very good English so it was a challenging conversation. How big of a difference is there between satin and matte?

We have used the same "floor" guys for many years and on many different projects. Their specialty is gym floors so I feel they really know their stuff. They use a Swedish product called Glitsa which we have been very pleased with. It does smell awful and we had to stay out of the house for 3 days. Very durable. We have 9 grandkids, and they bring their pets. The floors look perfect.

I am fairly sure I have satin on my floors. They are 10 years old. There is almost no sheen (I would say there is no sheen) but they don't look "dry".

Thanks athensmom. I think I will be fine with that. In fact, that's probabably the look I want!