Architect spec'ed 5 coats of poly over white oak in the kitchen because of all the water, food, etc.

Floor guys and contractor are telling me 5 is too many. Floors may look cloudy, too shiny and 2 extra coats won't make any difference.

The GC didn't read the plans and didn't know we spec'ed 5 coats, so I'm not sure he's telling me 3 is enough because that's fact, or because he'll have to eat the cost of 2 more coats.

Could use some advise stat...floor guys are already on the second coat today!

Thanks for any feedback.

He is not feeding you a line. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing in this instance.

3 coats is that max on a site finished floor.

5 very thin coats would work, but they better be very thin, then you end up burning through it abrading it to recieve the next coat.

Maybe the Architect was counting stain, sealer, and 3 coats...

The hardwood finishing industry has often been quoted as saying three coats are adequate, acceptable, prefered, etc. What one needs to know is how thick are those coats and what is the percentage of solids in the chosen finish? Having used pretty much everything out there (type wise, not brands) I can tell you some finishing products build up a film very well and three coats are adequate. Other finishes are thinner or have less solids and if one was to use the three coat rule, you would be left with a floor that has less finish on it than desirable. A kitchen floor gets the most abuse in a residence so I am always concerned about the amount of protection the floors will need. If I'm using Bona Traffic with a spread rate of 500 sq.ft. per gallon, then a sealer or stain and two coats are the bare minimum and you will not get a very thick film. For best moisture and stain protection, I recommend the stain or sealer and three coats of Bona Traffic in kitchens. This is Bona's recommendation for commercial applications as well. If the finisher is using OMU, then a sealer, stain and three top coats are recommended. However, some OMU is 550 voc and some is 350 voc. What does this mean? The 350 finish is much thicker with more solids per liter because some of the solvents have been removed to meet clean air laws. It is much more difficult to apply and usually takes longer to dry. Other brands of 550 voc finish are so watery that even after four coats, the floors still look like they could use another coat. So, in the end, it isn't how many coats that make a floor moisture and stain resistant but a knowledgable floor finisher who will takes the steps needed to deliver the product the customer expects.

One other consideration is where are you going to stop the 5 coats and start the three? If the floors runs into other rooms with no breaks there going to be a line there where one is heavier than the other. I would think you might as well put that extra coat on all the high traffic areas, halls, foyer living room ect. And btw Gary's is on target here no all coatings and applications are the same so giving a generic three coat rule for all is nothing more than a general guide its not the law by any means.