Whether it’s time to update your home or build an addition to create more space, any sizable remodeling project comes with a long list of choices. You’ll be looking at paint swatches, comparing sink or shower fixtures, or maybe agonizing over which countertop color will look best.

When it comes to flooring, you’ll have even more choices to make. If you choose hardwood flooring, you’re headed in the right direction, but you still have to choose between hardwood floor finishes. Here’s what you need to know before making up your mind.

The Appeal of Hardwood Flooring

First of all, it goes without saying that upgrading to hardwood flooring will do wonders for the aesthetic value of your home. Will it add to the resale value, however? While it’s difficult to know exactly how much your return on investment will be if you install hardwood as part of your remodel, research does indicate that homes with hardwood flooring sell at higher prices — and they sell faster.

A USA Today survey found that 54% of home buyers were willing to pay $2,080 more for a home with hardwood flooring and felt that this feature was “very important” in a potential home search. Realtors surveyed by the National Wood Flooring Association agreed, with 90% saying that homes with hardwood sell at a higher price and 82% saying that they sell faster than homes with carpet or other types of flooring.

In addition to making your home more appealing for reselling, hardwood flooring is durable, long-lasting, and easy to live with. It’s especially easy to maintain in households with children or pets; spills and accidents can easily be addressed with no calls to the professional carpet cleaner. Best of all, whether your house is traditional or modern, large or small, you’ll be able to find a type of wood that will look beautiful — no matter your taste.

Types of Hardwood Floor Finishes

You’ve opted for hardwood flooring and have chosen the kind of wood to install. The process is over, right? Not quite yet. As a final step, you need to choose the best hardwood floor finish to cover and protect your new wood. As a general rule, hardwood floor finishes are categorized by how easy they are to apply, whether or not they yellow with age, and how durable they are. Here are the most common types of wood finishes:

Wax — The most traditional type of hardwood floor finish, wax is easy and inexpensive to apply and is incredibly long-lasting if you take good care of it. The appeal of wax is that it sinks down into the wood, protecting it from the inside out. The downside of wax is that it needs regular maintenance and can be vulnerable to water damage.

Oil-Based Urethane — Very common and easy to apply, oil-modified urethane is durable and creates a finish that’s resistant to moisture. It dries in approximately eight hours and will start to amber with age.

Water-Based Urethane — This finish dries faster than oil-based urethane finishes, but it’s also more expensive. Water-based urethane will not yellow with age and is durable and moisture-resistant.

Moisture-Cured Urethane — Difficult to apply, this kind of finish cures by pulling moisture from the air (so the time it takes to dry depends on the relative humidity). It comes in both ambering and non-yellowing options, as well as gloss or satin. Moisture-cured polyurethane finishes tend to be more expensive, but they’re also very durable.

Swedish Finishes — Also known as acid-curing, these are some of the most durable of all the floor finishes, but the curing process is lengthy (it takes up to 60 days).

Penetrative Sealers — This kind of hardwood floor finish uses a penetrating oil that fills the wood’s pores and coats it to protect it. People like this option because it’s durable and doesn’t put off a strong odor. It does turn amber over time, however, and takes a day or two to dry between coats.

The type of hardwood floor finish you choose will likely depend as much on your family and lifestyle as it will on the kind of hardwood itself. No matter which one you pick, updating your home with hardwood flooring is a choice you’ll be glad to have made — both while you live in your home and when it’s time to sell!