When having your hardwood floor sanded, the contractor might throw around the term "Natural". "What do you think of a natural floor?" While solid 3/4" hardwood itself is a natural product, this refers to the color of the floor.
Assuming the floor has already been completely sanded down to the bare wood, a natural hardwood floor can be achieved in a multitude of ways.
First, by simply putting 3 coats of oil base polyurethane on the floor. This is a 3 day process as each coat must dry overnight and be abraded and cleaned each morning. I have finished a 100 year old floor this way recently with Bona Woodline Polyurethane, here was the result:(below)
Secondly, a natural hardwood floor can refer to a freshly sanded hardwood floor that has been finished with a clear water base sealer and two top coats of water base finish. Here is a floor i finished with that process a while back. (below)
A hardwood floor technician might even refer to a floor that has not been stained as natural. Here is a hardwood floor I refinished with Bona Intenseal (no not a serious squeaky animal from the arctic) a tinted water base sealer and 2 top coats of clear Bona Domo finish. (below)
Lastly, and almost very on the nose, a natural floor could in fact refer to a floor that has been stained with the aptly named: "Natural" Bona dry fast stain. Just this week I refinished a kitchen for a client, the floor was finished by staining with Bona Natural Stain, and going over the top with 2 coats of Bona Mega One. (below)
While a "natural" hardwood floor can be achieved multiple ways, its clear that this term refers to the clarity of the finish and stain. Allowing all the grain to show wonderfully under the new shine.
Something to note, the floors finished with oil base polyurethane will amber over time and turn orange, while water base floors tend to lighten up over time. Father time and UV rays are undefeated in the ways that they effect nature and that includes your real wood floors.
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