Floor Finishing Polyurethanes

[donnyj08]

I have laid 2000SF of Red Oak Character grade flooring and I want to just poly it after it’s sanded, but I don’t want the Amber color of a traditional polyurethane.

Any recommendations on a good quality durable, clear non-ambering water based poly?

I have found the following;
1. Old Masters Water based with Hardener additive (2 part) (available at a local Hardware store)
2. Bona Mega Clear HD (2 part) (online order)

3. Minwax Ultimate Floor Finish (1-part) can order from Sherwin Williams.

Any wood workers have a preference? I want to retain the look as close to how it looks right now which is bare. I’ve attached a few pictures of it during the laying process.

 

[spasm3]

Member Demarpaint once recommended Last n Last, I used it on stairs and it holds up amazingly well. It is solvent and the fumes were intense for several days. We left for a weekend.

I would pm Demarpaint in case things have changed.

 

[#18FAN]

I had requested Bona Mega 2k when we refinished oak floors years ago sure glad I did still looks like the day it was done.

 

[oggb]

In my experience if you want to stay extremely true to the natural unfinished color you will actually need to stain the wood a shade ever so slightly lighter than natural in order to compensate for darkening. I've had great luck using Minwax Tinsmith Grey water-based stain on light colored woods like maple, some oaks, and bamboo.

To really get this right you're going to need to finish pieces of sample flooring until you get it exactly how you want it, experimenting with stains and polys, etc.

 

[wrcsixeight]

I used a water based poly, I think it was Varathane brand. Come Applies from can milky, dries clear.

It does not wear nearly as well as the oil based PU, and has issues with rubbing alcohol. I think I could soak a scrubbie sponge in rubbing alcohol and do the wax on wax off karate kid thing and get down to bare wood with a non excessive amount of elbow grease on the items I used the water based PU on. The one surface I used it on, the wood below ihas all sorts of dark pinprick spots like it got wet, and grew mildew underneath.

That pretty much cured me of water based PolyUrethanes.

Lately, as I hate the recommended 4 to 5 coats applied 4 hours apart lightly sanded between, and the stink, I use surfboard laminating epoxy designed to wet out fiberglass cloth, or carbon fiber. Can roll on one thick coat that is basically stink free in 4 hours, and is much more durable.

Dries super glossy though, and any imperfection/ fisheye is hyper pronounced, and any contamination can cause a 'fisheye'. excess humidity during the cure, can also cause a milky amine blush to form, which is water soluble, but....

Poly is much much more forgiving in this regard, and the epoxy parts A and B must be measured to a near perfect ratio, and thoroughly mixed. If not then the tool throwing nightmare cursefest, to end all which came before, ensues.

The surfboard epoxies are almost 'water white', so don't add any amber tint initially, but can yellow over the white foam in time. UV light and epoxy don't really mix either. Many of the laminating epozies, the resin has a blue tint to make white polyurethane or Expanded polystyrene foam 'pop'