The primary purpose of finishing a hardwood floor is to protect it from damage through use. To measure the effectiveness of a finish, it is subjected to the Taber Abrasion Test. The question is, what is the Taber Abrasion Test? This test is simple. Flooring squares are secured to a turntable and weighted with sandpaper. The turntable then spins, causing the sandpaper to wear against the floor. Each full revolution of the table is referred to as a Taber Cycle, and the number of Taber Cycles it takes for the sandpaper to wear through the finish is the Taber Rating for that finish.
At first you might think that the higher the rating, the better the finish, and many flooring companies boast extremely high Taber Ratings reaching up to 1600, near the top of the scale. However, outstanding durability is not the only factor when it comes to rating a finish.
High Taber Ratings are achieved through excessive amounts of aluminum oxide abrasion particles. These particles make the finish inconsistent from board to board, as well as make the end flooring appear cloudy. This opacity hides the natural beauty of the wood, which almost defeats the purpose of installing a hardwood floor in the first place.
The ideal Taber Rating for a finish, then, is right in the middle of the scale, around 800. This score provides a sturdy finish without compromising the look of the floor. It is also the score we aim for with our Eco-Shield™ Hardwood Floor Finish. If you install the Staybull® brand of eco-friendly hardwood flooring, you will get a beautiful, long lasting floor.
