OK. . . I bit off more than I realized when I decided to install hardwood flooring two weeks ago. I am beginning to think the installation (laying the board down) was the easy part. This finishing stuff is about to get to me. Let me lay out what I am dealing with and request some feedback from you experts out there:

- I have put down approximately 1000 sq. ft. of 3/4" unfinished pine flooring
- I am aiming for a rustic look, so do not plan to sand the flooring (other than some spot sanding to remove pointed corners, etc.)
- this is a residential application (my house)
- I do not intend to stain the flooring
- the yellowing of a traditional oil-based polyurethane does not appeal to me--we like the color of the wood as it is
- durability is a factor for me--we often have visitor and lots of children coming in and out
- having said what I did about yellowing, I am thoroughly confused about the "oil vs. waterborne" decision for polyurethane--if waterborne is significantly less durable than oil, it could influence my decision
- and how about quality of products? the Bona Traffic product shows up a lot in discussions (here and other websites)--is that something a DIYer like myself could apply? are the MinWax waterborne poly products something worth considering? Parks PRO? any of the stuff you get at the box stores, or hardware stores worth consideration?

Lots of questions, so thanks for your advice and patience.

Scott

All of the waterbased finishes at the hardware stores are called "single component" finishes that dry by evaporation. They would be about equal in durabilty to a average oil- based polyurethane. That includes Park's Pro Finisher, Minwax and Flecto and probably some regional brands as well, like Olympic. Professional waterbased floor finishes also come in single component types and are considered to be on the lower end of most manufacturer's product lines. Finishes like Bona Traffic are two component finishes that utilize a crosslinking catalyst that is to be mixed in with the finish, sorta like an epoxy but they're not epoxies. The finishes will dry without the catalysts but the catalysts are added to greatly improve the performance and durability of these professional lines of floor finishes. Most of them require that you use their sealers first. And if you can find a local distributor who will sell them to you (they are for professional use only ), the pro finishes will be expensive. What you may want to do is go ahead and use Park's Pro Finisher with their sealer. Use one coat of sealer and about three coats of their finsih. Follow the directions on the labels EXACTYLY. If you're not sure what to do, call Park's or ask us. Don't rely on what a HD employee tells you. Then see how it works out for you. If it performs well enough, great, no problem. If it seems to scratch more easily than you'd like, you can have a pro screen and recoat your floors with Bona Traffic. As long as you do not pollute the Park's waterbased finish by cleaning the floors with anything but a hardwood floor cleaner, there would be no difficulty in recoating the floors at a later date.

Gary,

Thank you so much for the quick reply. I like your suggestion, and made a trip to HD to check on the Parks Pro Finisher this evening. I had some questions after reading the instructions on the Sealer and Poly products, and emailed them to the Parks folks. I'll re-post them here as well (below) to see if anyone has experience/insight into the issues (what I am getting at without stating it outright in the questions to Parks is, MinWax doesn't require screening/sanding between coats. . . Parks does--but maybe there is a good reason for that!?).

1. I am not staining, so I will be using a sealant. The Pro Finisher Waterborne Sanding Sealer product indicates that screening is required following application to reduce the raised grain, and assist with adherence of the poly. In my case, I prefer the grain to remain raised for a more rustic appearance. Is the screening and/or sanding of the sealant coat a requirement for the best possible adhering of the subsequent poly coat? Or is the screening really more for the reducing of the grain height only?

2. The instructions on the Pro Finisher Waterborne Polyurethane indicate that abrasion between each coat of poly is required with a screen, but then states that sanding is not required if the next coat is applied within 6 hours. Is this distinguishing "abrasion" from "sanding?" Or is it possible to apply subsequent poly coats without abrading or sanding if it is done within 6 hours (i.e., apply the polyurethane coat, allow it to dry 1-2 hours, and immediately apply another coat until the next to last coat is applied--THEN sand before the final coat only)?

It's both. If the manufacturer recommends a light sanding after using their sealer, then I always recommend following their directions. Keep in mind, they made it and know it better than you or I. So best to follow the directions and not try to cut corners. This is where DIYer's get into trouble. You do not have to use a buffer and screens. You could go with the "muscle method". Use a sheetrock pole sander and sand it that way.

Yes, screening and abrading, in this instance, mean the same thing. If they state you can recoat within 6 hours of the previous coat without sanding, then you can without difficulty or problems of adhesion. It's commonly done with waterbased finishes.