Hi

I am new with all this,

I have 2 quotes to refinish my oak hardwood floor.

1 guy was going to sand then seal and 2 coats of poly

2nd guy was 400 bucks more and skipped the sealer and just went with 3 coats of poly.

The 2nd guy actually told me that he use to use a sealer but found that it does not work as well then just putting 3 coats of poly down.

Anybody have any suggestion for me? I would like to go with option 1 since it is cheaper but is skipping the sealer and just having 3 coats of poly that much more worth it?

Thanks

up north i've heard of a lot of ppl using 3 coats of poly and being fine. in florida we use a sealer coat and 2 coats and have a great finish too. 1 one extra coat of poly is not worth $400 more, nor is it more work. Sealer is cheaper than poly and i think it is just as durable as a 1st coat of poly.

In the earlier days when polyurethanes were first being used on wood floors, there was no adequate sealers. Some products, like shellac, were tried and failed. It was determined that Oil Modified Polyurethane is self sealing. So, from then on, many of us just thinned the first coat of OMU down a little to enhance penetration into the wood. Since adding thinners to urethanes has been illegal now for years, manufacturers have made OMU "sealers", which are, in reality, thinned out OMU's. They may have some additives that improve sanding. Some common ones are BONA Dri-Fast Sealer and ZAR Quick Dry. Also, since Zinsser came out with a wax free shellac, they called that a universal sealer. To add to the confusion, some finishes MUST be used with a certain sealer. Many acid curing urethanes need to be used over a particular sealer. And some water based urethanes need to be as well. And some sealers promote certain properties that the top coat finishes do not have that the floor needs. So, both contractors may by correct or both incorrect, or one correct and the other incorrect; it all depends on EXACTLY the brand and type of finish they are using.

Gary,
wouldn't you classify Bona Kemi dri-fast as an OMU? what this guy needs to do is ask that guy using sealer,just exactly what kind of sealer he's talking about [ Lacquer Sealer ] is not compatible with OMU

The OP never stated the "poly" was an OMU. Yes, the poster must determine EXACTLY the brand and type of finish to be used before an adequate answer can be made.



Yes and no. It is oil-based poly PLUS. Compare it to Woodline. It's not the same. BONA classifies it as a "sealer". Now the term "sealer" is a generic term for many various products. It's my opinion BONA classified it as such to avoid VOC laws and to designate that it is NOT to be used as a top coat.

It's not recommended as a top coat,it's also not recommended over stain....
My take on the dri-fast sealer is (it's thinned out more and has more driers,it does seem make the wood lighter than just using woodline omu .Also when used as a first coat sealer you don't put bona seal over it,you use woodline omu or traffic