When water based finish was applied to an oil base stain, peeling occurred. Does anyone have any input about this.
Thank you.
Maggie Morra[/b]

The stain was not completely dry or the stain contained some wax or stearates.

On the topic of water finish over oil stain, I did a job last spring involving american cherry flooring. To match the cabinets and trim, I used Minwax cherry stain. I finished with 1 coat BC emulsion and 2 coats streetshoe. No problems with first coat, but each time I prepped for subsequent coats (I botched my final coat first time around), it seemed to lighten the color of the stain. By the time I completed the job, my final color was noticeably lighter then before I put any finish down. Is it possible the first coat pulled the stain?( I ragged on the stain and let it sit around 12-16 hours before my first coat.) Since then I've gone back to using an oil-based sealer over stain first.

Minwax stains are NOTORIOUSLY slow drying. I hate Minwax stain. It's easy to apply but just takes forever to dry completely. For me, time is money so I rely on BONA Dri Fast stains. Expensive but reliable.

You must use a sealer with any stain under water. If Bona use Bona Seal or Basic use Hydroline. Also let the stain dry for at least 8 hours.

Mitchell

Not quite true Der. BONA's Traffic, which is water-based, insists that you do NOT use their BONASEAL over stain when applying Traffic. Bona wants you to apply Traffic directly over stain with NO sealer. And as far as stain drying, it's the jobsite conditions that factor more than the time. Minwax stain will dry, but typically can take two or three days to be COMPLETELY dry. I use a clean, white cloth to buff (by hand) a spot on the stained floor to see if it is ready for finish. If any stain comes off on the cloth, the stain isn't dry enough.

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Much appreciated.

I apply Miwax stain and go back next day and apply water base Bonaseal or Emulsion (pending on job) as my sealer and Streetshoe as 2 top coats. The only problem i've ever ran into is minor bleed back. I've never have any peeling problems. Emulsion is an oil modified finish as well try that and see what happens! How are you finishing your floors?

Gary, they never said they where using Traffic. I was saying as a gereral rule, always use a sealer over stain. I guess I forgot to say unless manufacture says other wise. And if your are going to get technical. always let a stain dry 24 hrs before sealing also double checking with a moisture meter.

Actually, Der, it was you that mentioned using BONA finishes so I just wanted to alert folks that there are exceptions. The only reason to use Bonaseal over stain and under their finishes (except Traffic) is to help prevent sidebonding. There was a time BONA did not have a "sealer" and one applied all BONA finishes directly over stain after the stain was completely dry. It is a mistake to make "general" comments about all stains and all finishes. Each product will have it's specific uses and applications and it's own directions. There are now some professional stains ( BONA Dri-Fast and Dura Seal Quick Dry) that dry much quicker and do not require the long dry times of many oil-based stains. I have used most of the brands over the years and found Minwax to be easy to use because it's so thin but very slow to dry. And due to it being so thin, it can create bleed back problems as well. I steer clear of Minwax stains for the most part. Dura Seal stain ( their regular stain, not quick dry) is also sort of slow drying but better than Minwax, even though it is a division of Minwax. Bona Dri Fast is probably the best in terms of drying. And McCloskey's Tungseal is also a terrific stain that dries well. Always follow the manufacturer's directions to the letter and if applying a waterbased sealer or finish over an oil stain, regardless of which brand, make sure that stain is absolutely dry. That will depend on job-site conditions more than a specific time period. In warm, dry climates, the stain will dry quickly, especially if there is good air flow. But if the weather is damp and cold, with a high RH, forget about that stain drying, even after 24 hours. It may take days under those conditions. So always ere on the side of caution and allow extra time for stains to dry well.