In our kitchen renovation, baked French oak 5" planks were installed. We are looking for a rich, old, low-luster and water-resistant finish. No stain is desired.

1- How does one decide between Waterlox sealer+Waterlox Satin versus Sutherland Welles Tung Oil sealer + Tung Oil Finish (low luster or medium luster)?

2- Should a urethane top coat be used over them?

3- Are there better alternatives?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Have U considered Bona Naturale? Low gloss, easy maintenance, and very durable.

I have begun making inquiries on the Bona product line. It seems using their oil/natural stain followed by 2 to 3 coats of Traffic in satin might give a good and attractive finish.

Thanks for your tip-- any more are most welcome.

traiffc satin finish if fairly dull, I would go with that.

This reply might be a little late, but since I didn't see a reply to your original question, I figured I would chime in.

IMO, Sutherland Welles is superior to Waterlox for a number of reasons.

Waterlox uses resins in their "tung oil finish" as well as linseed oil. This means a couple of things: First, it is really not a TRUE tung oil like Sutherland Welles. Waterlox will not penetrate as deep or as well, but rather lie on the surface. Second, linseed oil will not only break down over time, but it will cause the wood to discolor or even blacken where there is a buildup of product. Sutherland Welles tung oil contains no linseed oil or resins.

Sutherland Welles will yield a higher coverage. You'll probably get twice the amount of sqare footage per qt.

Finally, Sutherland Welles has a much lower toxicity than Waterlox, especially if you use their botanical line. Outgassing of solvent based finishes is a huge contributor to indoor air polution. As consumers continue to become more educated you will certainly see a push to lower VOC products. Sutherland Welles uses Di-Citrusol which is much enviornmentally friendlier than what is found in Waterlox.

Good luck