Which floor finish sheen hides scratches best?

Matt and extra-matt. Sheen works by reflecting light evenly, and every scratch interrupts that reflection -- so the glossier the floor, the more every mark, dust layer and paw print shows. Matt finishes scatter light and visually swallow fine wear.

Is gloss out of fashion for timber floors?

Full gloss has become rare in new work -- it shows every imperfection in both the timber and the sanding, and needs constant cleaning to look its best. Most floors today are finished satin, matt or extra-matt. Gloss still suits formal period homes with near-perfect boards.

What sheen level looks most natural?

Extra-matt (around 5-10% gloss). Finishes like Bona Traffic HD Extra Matt are designed to make a coated floor look and read like raw, uncoated timber while still carrying full protection.

Matt, Satin or Gloss: Choosing a Floor Finish Sheen

Sheen is the biggest visual decision after colour, and the one people most often get talked out of correctly.

TL;DR The glossier the floor, the more it shows: scratches, dust, footprints, dog hair. Matt hides daily life and reads modern; satin is the safe middle with a soft glow; gloss is high-maintenance formality that demands a perfect floor. The trade default has moved to matt/extra-matt for good reason. Sheen is purely the top coat's property -- colour and species do not limit your choice.

What sheen actually is

Sheen is measured as the percentage of light reflected at an angle: roughly, gloss 70%+, satin 30-40%, matt 10-20%, extra-matt under 10%. It lives entirely in the final coat -- the same floor, same colour, same primer can be any sheen, and the durability of a given product line is identical across its sheens. You are choosing pure appearance and liveability.

How each level lives day to day

Sheen	The look	Daily reality
Extra-matt	Reads as raw, uncoated timber. Very current.	Hides scratches, dust and footprints best of all. Forgiving of imperfect old boards.
Matt	Natural with the faintest life to it.	Excellent at hiding wear. The modern default for family homes.
Satin	Soft glow, gently highlights the grain.	The safe middle. Shows a little more dust than matt, still forgiving. The compromise choice that rarely disappoints.
Gloss	Mirror formality; period-home grandeur.	Shows everything: fine scratches, every speck of dust, paw prints, the sanding quality underneath. Constant cleaning to look its best.

Choosing for your situation

Kids, dogs, real life: matt or extra-matt. Every day between cleans looks better. (More in dogs and timber floors.)
Old boards with character marks: matt -- low sheen de-emphasises dents and patches; gloss spotlights them.
Dark-stained floors: go one step more matt than your instinct. Dark + shine is the single worst combination for showing dust and scratches.
Period home, formal rooms, near-perfect boards: satin or gloss earns its keep here and nowhere else.
Cannot decide: satin. Nobody has ever hated satin.

Seeing it before you commit

Sheen names vary between brands and photos online are lit to flatter. The honest test is a wet sample on your timber: coat an offcut or a wardrobe corner and look at it in your own light, morning and evening. In the Bona range we stock, Traffic HD comes in satin, matt and extra-matt, Mega from gloss through extra-matt, and Traffic GO in the matt family -- ring and we will talk you onto the right one for the floor and the household. Sheen also affects the maintenance rhythm: glossier floors want more frequent cleaning to look right -- the routine itself is in the care guide.

Torn between two sheens?

Ring and describe the room, the timber and the household. We look at finished floors every week and will tell you plainly which sheen you'll still be happy with in five years.

Call 1300 950 551