My flooring finisher has agreed to put Waterlox on my new white oak floors, but he has no experience with tung oil. (He is the top finisher in my small town, so I trust he can do a good job).

His questions are:

* do we need to mix a stain with it? (I like a brownish look with less grain emphasis)

* is this product water based?

* does he need to wipe off after applying?

* does he need to put poly (he uses commercial poly) on top, or just the 3 coats of Waterlox?

Thank you.

You will find everything you need to know, right here.

Amazing what a google search will pull up.

https://www.waterlox.com/default.aspx

*You MAY mix an oil based stain with it. You don't NEED to. Up to 4 parts Waterlox and one part stain.
* No, it has aromatic and petroleum based solvents in it. Smells real bad IMO.
* NO.
* Either/or. If top coating with polyurethane, he'll need to wait a few days to allow the Waterlox to dry well.

Thank you for answering my questions. I picked up the Waterlox today--almost $100 each, and I needed 6 cans of satin plus all the original! I hope it's worth it... My question is, if I get the first coat of Waterlox on, and I don't like the natural, can I then add stain, or would the wood not accept any stain then? Thank you.

You must add the stain in the first coat.

Since I only get one shot at the stain, I'd like to test it out first, but the Waterlox site says their finish is like fine wine that goes bad once it's opened!
Would you recommend I just go natural on white oak? Will the Waterlox darken the wood? Of the Minwax stains, I like Provincial and Dark Walnut. Would it be a big mistake to open the Waterlox can to test the color before Tuesday?

Open the can and make samples prior to applying on the flooring. It will be OK. Just recap the Waterlox after opening.

Thank you for your help along the way. The finisher put on the first coat of Waterlox with 1/5 Minwax stain. The look is just flat as flat can be, yet I'm planning on putting Satin on for the top coats. Has anyone had success with satin Waterlox? Is it too dull? Also, will the floor be smooth like poly floors are? I'm concerned after the first coat that the floor will always have a "rough" feel to it. Maybe Waterlox is only for antique floors and mine are brand new.

Let them get a build of finish on the floor. Then if they need, it can and probably should be screened prior to the last coat.

Satin, is not shiney. A lot of finishers will build with gloss or semi-gloss, and then the final coat will be satin. They do this so the dulling agents don't build up and give the finish a cloudy appearence.

Gary can explain it better then I can.

I don't know, I thought you explained it very well. One thing though. I would not use screens as an abrasive for Waterlox. Way to aggressive. 3M's "between the coats" maroon pads before the final coat should be just right. And Waterlox is unique in it's appearance and performance. It's not quite like anything else out there. Don't expect a glassy smooth, piano top like finish. That is not what Waterlox is all about.