I imagine that decorators will all tell you to go with the matte. We did semi-gloss 12 years ago when we had two toddlers and a dog, but I don't know if I'd make the same decision today. I was shocked to see just how shiny it was when we came back to the house after the refinishing. That said, it's definitely more durable. We typically walk around inside in socks and slippers, but the same can't be said for the dog! I find the issue of showing dust is greater with a dark-stained floor, regardless of the sheen level of the varnish.

You may want to take into account how many people and pets will be living in the house over the life of the floor and the kind of general wear and tear it will be subjected to.

we just had our red oak floors refinished. They were natural with a clear coat and we had them sanded and finished with a medium brown tone (chestnut). Before the finish coat it was too dull - we went with a satin finish which protects the wood and gives it a beautiful sheen.

I am a matte finish kind of gal. I like the way that scratches and wear blend when the floors are matte. I agree that the glossy shows dog hair--we had a light colored dog with light colored wood and it still showed! My friend with dark, dark floors that are all glossy says it's driving her to drink because EVERYTHING shows on it.

We will have a white oak that is semi-distressed and stained a light color. When I dropped scissors on the sample, you could barely see it.

Does the satin show the dust as much as glossy?. I am going to refinish my floors before the new cabinets go in next month

I have both matte and semi gloss prefinished cherry in different parts of my first floor (don't ask...husband found a deal on prefinished semi gloss).

The semi gloss section in the kitchen and hallway show scratches, smudges and dirt much more easily than the matte. I have to mop the semi gloss every 4-5 days vs the rest of the house which can go a month.

If you are going with a darker finish, the matte floors will be easier to maintain. If you go with a lighter stain, I think you could do either finish. The semi gloss floors were really pretty when they went in but they have proven to be a nightmare to keep looking good.

Good luck with the reno.

My floor finisher used two coats of semigloss and a topcoat of matte. It is durable without being too shiny.

Because I live with a gloss in the kitchen and then matte on the rest of the 1st floor, I'd definitely suggest the matte finish. It doesn't take away from the beauty of the wood (we have oak) and it's great with kids. We have very few scratches, or if we do, I can't really see them.

The gloss finish on our prefinished floor in the kitchen shows dust/dirt more easily and the gloss is a bit distracting, honestly. It wasn't my first choice for wood in the kitchen but I just couldn't live through on-site sanding/staining by the time the kitchen was almost done. And I couldn't get a matte finish in prefinished at the price I wanted....

Good luck! Wood floors are just beautiful so I'm sure your result will be wonderful no matter which finish you choose.

I'm in the camp of matte or satin finish - Wood flooring is lovely, it doesn't call for high gloss "look at me" finish -

Best of luck

We have Brazilian Cherry hardwood throughout the house. I finished them with "original" Waterlox (a penetrating Tung Oil sealer) which is a semi-gloss finish. We haven't moved in yet so I can't say how it will hold up but the gloss to the floor is gorgeous.

The good thing about Waterlox is if it would get scratched or worn looking, there's no sanding or fuss, you just put some Waterlox on the area or you can redo the entire floor. With other sealers that lay on top of the floor instead of penetrating into the wood, you would have to sand the floor to fix an area and hope the thickness difference doesn't show up.