Natural wood: a look your customers will thank you for

Many customers will truly appreciate when a trade professional shares their expertise, especially when it comes to achieving the very best quality natural wood finish indoors. 

They’ll love you even more for pointing out those hidden gems that will really add design impact. 

So, if your client is sharing Instagram or Pinterest images of the latest UK interior design trends with you, here’s some advice on helping them achieve those natural wood looks and, importantly, provide a wood finish that lasts.

Sometimes overlooked in favour of paint, natural wood adds inviting warmth and texture to a period-style home, a new build and those in between. 

Expose original wooden features

Making customers aware of how timber features can be exposed and brought back to life can really add value to the work you do for them – a great alternative to simply painting them white. Whilst a white wall looks amazing, suggesting they team it with the warmth of wood can really help to add character – especially in a period property.

Details such as timber beams and ceiling joists, original doors and window frames, skirting boards and fireplaces are all features that homeowners also frequently forget about.

Another design feature that can get overlooked is the staircase - often the first thing you see when you walk into a house. Renovating a staircase by exposing a wooden banister makes such a stylish statement – even it it’s just revealing the handrail to let the wood in its natural state shine through.

The key is to focus on intensifying the natural colour of the wood by using a clear or natural-look varnish – or for timber beams and ceiling joists, we recommend Ronseal Trade Total Wood Preserver that will achieve the desired look and prevent any nasty issues such as rot, decay and woodworm.

Quicker turnaround for you and your customer

If a quick turnaround is required in a busy home, Ronseal Trade Quick Dry Interior Varnish is available in clear, as well as a range of ‘wood’ colours, so you can easily match and enhance the natural tones of the wood. Its water-based formulation means that it offers a long-lasting finish and short recoat times - each coat will be 100% dry after just one hour, meaning all three coats can be applied in one day; great for you and your customer.

For customers who aren’t colour confident, recommend that they think about the colours for the rest of the room. For example, darker wood finishes should be paired with paler tones to brighten the space and make it feel more open and inviting. Alternatively, if the wood has orangey-red undertones, suggest combining it with other autumnal colours – it can always be toned down by adding a splash of white here and there for a more contemporary look.

For interior wood that needs to be more resistant to, for example, heat or household chemicals, a tougher more durable seal to consider is Ronseal Trade Polyurethane Varnish - a traditional, solvent-based varnish that is available in Mattcoat, Satinglaze or Hardglaze finishes. 

Alternative for furniture and doors 

Particularly suitable for restoring old wood that needs a little attention or to protect against scratches for furniture and interior doors, look to recommend the use of Ronseal Trade Danish Oil. Nourishing and restoring, it really brings out the natural finish of the wood as well as delivering a long-lasting finish.

How to achieve the best natural wood floor finish

If a client is looking for a wood floor finish, checking the condition of the existing floorboards is the first step. Damaged ones may be repairable or replaced with those from a salvage specialist.

Once sanded and prepared, the best wooden floor varnish to use for domestic floors is Ronseal Trade Ultra Tough Floor Varnish. This clear, water-based varnish is quick drying and offers tough protection against knocks, scuffs and scratches meaning it is ideal for regularly used areas like hallways and living spaces. 

This works well on finishes including:

• Hardwood and softwood floor boards or panels
• Herringbone or mosaic parquet flooring 
• Untempered hardboard
• Chipboard and wood compositions

What’s more, you can also use it on previously varnished wood after suitable preparation or even to seal a contemporary cork floor – a great finish for those that value silence, warmth or need an impact resistant finish.

To calculate quickly how much you need, use our handy Coverage Calculator 

Why not brush up on your knowledge of the interior wood products from Ronseal Trade, click here.