We installed a prefinished matte bamboo flooring in our new house and have decided we would like a glossy look. Can anyone recommend if it is ok to put water based poly on top of bamboos? And if so, how many coats are recommended.

Thanks!

P.S. Has anyone had issues with their bamboo flooring? It seems to scratch and knick so easily.

Yes, you can recoat a prefinished floor with waterbased floor finish. Your bamboo may have a aluminum oxide finish which makes prepping it for another coat more difficult. Both Bona and Basic have "systems/procedures" for recoating factory finished floors and I would recommend those. These are "professional use" only products so I recommend you hire a local experienced floor finisher to do the work. Do not even try to go to to HD and buy something and mop it on your floor. It probably will fail and peel off. Recoating factory finished floors is much more difficult today than it was 10,15 years ago. Also, bamboo shows ALL the flaws so you need a good finisher. One last thing. A gloss finish will show scratches and wear more readily. Consider a semi-gloss if you want more shine. Bona Traffic is the best, IMO.

Gary,

Thanks for the reply! I spoke with a hardwood floor installer a few weeks ago and he asked too if the floor had an aluminum oxide finish. After doing some research I found out they have Treffert coatings. I have no clue what that is and I'm not sure if it is aluminum oxide or not. I have tried contacting the manufacturer for further information, but no luck.

If we do decide to refinish with a semi-gloss, how many coats would you recommend?

Also, does anyone know a good floor finisher in the Atlanta area. The guy I know is booked up for awhile.

Thanks! Robin