Hi Guys,

Refinish a red oak floor in a spare bedroom, which is going to become an exercise room(tredmil, bike, home gym, etc)

Looking for the best finish that I can roll on. Have refinished a couple of whole houses before, but in those have only used cheapish oil finishes which I could roll on. Want to stick with a roll on finish so I don't screw anything up

Reading about some finishes that do not roll well. Would be nice to use water based just for the smell.. but not sure about rolling water based.

Floor will not be stained, and in the past I have never used any type of sealers. Just 2 or 3 coats of oil poly.. How do you guys determine if you use a sealer, does it just depend on which product you end up using?

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks

Most finish systems tell you not to use there sealer over a stain. Can always test a corner out and see what happens.

Most the time a stain will do the sealers job so it's not needed.

Just make sure the stain is fully dried before coating. Take a clean rag and wipe over the floor, if you pick up stain on the rage, it's not dry.

Two of the most durable finishes on the market today is Traffic and Street Shoe, both retail in the $80-$110 per gallon range depending on store.
I've used both and both hold up great over time, I feel Traffic is easier to work with and flows out nicely.

I second Traffic and think it is a bit more durable. It rolls nicely but you do not have as much working time as an oil-based poly. BONA also makes their Dri-Fast sealer, which is an oil-based, fast drying poly you can use UNDER Traffic as a sealer to get that amber color. Or use Bona's sealer or a stain. Traffic is pretty forgiving but you must use either a stain first or an approved sealer.