I am having a new floor installed and they just applied the first coat of Minwax Polyurethane (stain finish). I was told "not to worry" and "not to critique" it yet. They may have to fill some spots, etc.

My questions are:
1. How many coats are normal for a professional job? I think they only plan to put one more coat on.

2. How long does a satin poly finish usually last?

3. Also, IF I decide I want a glossier look, can anything be done at this point? I AM happy . . . and the floors are beautiful - but I like the "shiney look", and I'm not sure the satin has the look I was after.

Although I don't do sand & finish work, 3 thin coats is better then 2 heavy coats.
Minwax? Why not Bona or Basic Coatings. When I hear Minwax, I think of DIY'er products. I could be wrong.


Depends on your household wear and tear. Your cleaning and maintenance schedule, will play a big part in the life of the finish.

I have seen some last just over a year before it needed some major refinishing, and I have seen some 10-12 years old that looked very good, and will make it another 5-10 years. They say 5-7 years is normal.

You do not want a high gloss finish!!!! You may think you do, but every tiny scratch will be magnified in the glossy finish! If you live there alone without any pets, you may be able to handle the high gloss, or if you know to expect sctaches to be everywhere.

Thanks for the information floorguy.
I hope they didnt cut corners on the poly. I am paying BIG bucks for these floors. There wont be much traffic on them at all.


Help! Has anyone used this stuff? Is it ok?

Colleen,
Dura Seal products are the commercial products put out by Minwax.
The DuraSeal products, (stains and urethanes) were used almost exclusivly by most SF Bay Area floor companies during the 70's and 80's and are still used by many today. I personally like the Bona Woodline products because I find them a little thicker and the price is a little lower for the same quality product. I coat of sealer (stain) and two coats of polyurethane were standard and I still only use two coats of finish to avoid that "plastic" look on the floors. Some shops that give you three coats are watering down the coats with thinners so you are not really getting three full coats. I agree with Floorguy about the glossier finish. It will only accentuate any defect in your subfloor and make your rooms look like a roller rink. 99% of all the floors I do are satin. The other 1% go satin after a short time because people hate them after living with them for awhile. Always remember... 1 coat of sealer (stain) and a minimum of two coats of polyurethane. Puttying holes and cracks is usually done between the first and second coat of urethane.
Danny

Thanks Danny and Floorguy about pointing out the disadvantages of the glossy finish. It helps. I'll stick with the satin and hopefully I LOVE it.

Now that the first coat is dry, I am noticing that some of the boards (oak quartersawn) are still a little rough compared to others. Will they also do some more sanding inbetween the first and second coat of polyureathane? He said something about filling/buffing/tacking ???? (or at least thats what I think he said.)

It has been VERY interesting watching the whole install. I'm trying not to "bug" them too much.

Colleen,
They will be lightly sanding (screening) after they fill your floor and before they apply the second coat. The first coat will usually come out a little rough and needs to be smoothed and etched for the final coat. They will probably use a screen on a floor buffer to get the majority of the floor and hand sand with fine sandpaper or a screen around the edges and in the corners.
Danny

colleen it ius apparent these guys know what they are doing!!!!! that pic was pretty and shows thier craftsmanship.
please dont take this the wrong way, cause you have to stay on top of contractors, but you got one who knows what he is doing, leave him alone. 1 coat sanding sealer + 2 coats poly= 3 coats any questions. more than 4 coats and you will have cure problems and yellowing.

duraseal is one of the best {and oldest} finishes in the flooring business.
enjoy your floor and let the installer do his job.