water based or oil based poly?

J187 · 08-30-2006, 10:13 PM

What does everyone recommend. According to Minwax, the only difference is really in quality and drying time and odor and cleanup. Anyone know of any reasons to choose one over the other? I've aslo heard some people say to use Bono Traffic before minwax, any thoughts..

Big Dave · 08-31-2006, 06:53 AM

Oil base is more user freindly. Water base is not bad to work with if your used to finishing. I have just recently switched to water base and love it. Fast dry, low odor, and seems to be hard as a rock. The only down side is it doesn't have that rich look of oil based poly. It won't yellow or amberize over time like oil will either. Just watch out for lap marks or drips in the water base because it will flash quickly and not flow out like oil base will. Also make sure your stain has dried completely, a day or two, before applying water base.

Bona does not recommend putting traffic over any stain other than their own, that being said I will use either Minwax or Sherwin-Williams, let dry, then apply Bona-seal then two coats of traffic. I have also used their Mega. Apply stain, let dry, apply Bona-seal, then two coats of Mega. If you use Bona's stain then you can put the traffic right on top and no Bona-seal.

Dave.

J187 · 09-01-2006, 08:43 AM

Thanks for the info. I might say I'd go w/ the waterborne JUST to avoid the ambering - the stain on my floor is exactly what I want it to be. I would hate to alter it in anyway. I guess I understand that a natural floor would gain a nice warm amberish glow w/ oil, but my floor has a slightly amber stain already. I appreciate the info.

handypilot · 09-03-2006, 07:42 PM

I refinished my oak hardwood floors, in the living and dining room, about 3 years ago. I used the following Minwax Products:

Minwax Wood Finish - Oil based stain (used a 50/50 blend of two diffent colors to get the look I wanted. And when I say "I" I mean my wife )
Water-based Minwax Polycrylic - 4 coats!

I used Polycrylic because Minwax didn't have their water-based floor poly available at the time, which is designed for higher traffic. After 3 years, with 3 young kids, my floor still looks great. i might need to put another coat of finish on it soon, but that only takes a couple of hours with a water based product.

I choose oil stain, because it's impossible to use water-based stain on large areas and not have lap marks. With oil, you can work by yourself and not worry about that. Though you need to let it dry a little longer if finishing with a waterborne poly.

I choose water poly because of dry time...it's a few hours before you can walk on it, and only a couple of days before you can put furnature on it, and a week before rugs. Oil is MUCH longer. You have to wait several weeks before putting rugs down!