Looking for flooring finish suggestions

[burdman_22]

Im looking for flooring finish suggestions for a rental cabin I (my dad) am building. In the past, we've always used oil based polyurethane (we've probably installed 60 or so hardwood floors). My dad has ONLY ever used polyurethane as a finish, so that is the type of application he is familiar with, hence, im looking for something that goes down in a similar fashion.

Looking at oil based poly and bona hd. Anyone have any thoughts? Or comparison photos? Will the clear Bona make the wood "look wet" like poly normally does? I want the wood to look close to natural, but a little darkening is ok (I'm not using any stain)

Flooring is quarter/rift sawn sycamore, and quarter/rift sawn red oak.

Some pictures of the sycamore attached.

[Tom K]

Nice looking floor!

I had to look up Bona as I wasn't familiar with it. It looks like they make several lines of water based floor finishes. As with any WB finish, you will get a slightly different look then you will an oil or solvent based finish. I have never used Bona products, but I would suspect it would act like any other WB finish. I would pick up a quart of something locally and see if you like how it looks on a couple sample pieces.

I haven't used a lot of WB finished mainly for the reason that they don't make the grain pop like a oil based finish does. Everything just seems flat to me with a WB. 

I've done a fair amount of hardwood floors in the past also. I worked for a guy back in high school that specialized in hardwood flooring, both new installs and refinish. Back then everything was a poly, either oil or water based depending on the owners preference. The water based was always easier to apply with the synthetic applicators, also easier to sand between coats.

[nativewolf]

surprised to see sycamore in a floor.  I'd be curious as to how it holds up.

[scsmith42]

Beautiful floor.

Bona Traffic would be my first choice for a water based finish. It's one of the most durable finishes on the market.

If you want to use an oil based finish, choose a non-yellowing moisture cure finish.

I'd probably try samples of both, because I'm thinking that the oil based may look better on the sycamore.

[tule peak timber]

I'm not a fan of water-based floor finishes, for several reasons. Of the different water-based finishes I have tested in years past, I like the Zinsser Nano Shield line, marketed under Rustoleum for its chemical and abrasion resistance.

For years I have used Hard Wax Oil. You can buy this under several brand names, most notably Rubio Monocoat. Rubio sells small sample bottles for $5 or $6 and you can get a feel for the rich grain popping look with an ultra flat sheen. Very natural looking. They offer a full range of light amber clear to a wide variety of colours, all of which have a wallet popping price. I found a little company out of Germany called Unearth Hard Wax Oil that produces a non-coloured amber clear hard wax oil that is pretty inexpensive. I buy it by the pallet for use in high end homes, wineries, commercial applications, furniture and so on. If you want to colour it, dry pigments work great and are inexpensive. Just ask your online browser or shoot me a PM and I'll be happy to help you.  Maintenance on hard wax oils is old fashioned floor wax, either in a solvent based formula, depending on the state in which you live, or aqueous if you are in a VOC restricted area.Cheers WOC

[burdman_22]

I have never used Bona products, but I would suspect it would act like any other WB finish. I would pick up a quart of something locally and see if you like how it looks on a couple sample pieces.

Appreciate your response. This is exactly the reason I was asking on here if anyone had any pictures, because they dont sell anything smaller than 1 gallon jugs, that are $140! I think its insane that they dont have any sample sizes or any smaller jugs. Who wants to pay $140 just to test and see if they like a finish? Not this guy, haha 

[burdman_22]

Rubio sells small sample bottles for $5 or $6 and you can get a feel for the rich grain popping look with an ultra flat sheen

This is what I was looking for. I just got two samples for free, will check it on the red oak and the sycamore both, thank you!

[burdman_22]

Forgot to mention, all of this flooring was produced from beginning to end by yours truly (a lot of the process was directed by me, but done by my Dad and brother, as I am in the military and dont have room where I live for all of my equipment....so my planer/moulder and my kiln are in Kentucky, while I have my sawmill in Maryland with me).

I didnt cut down any of the trees, but I did mill all of them into lumber, kiln dried and sanitized in my own solar kiln, then planed it all and ran it through my moulder (woodmaster 725). Some of it isn't perfect, but I'm pretty happy with it.

I've not seen quarter/rift sawn flooring before, with the exception of the random piece or two, so I am excited to see it all down (anxious as well...hoping it doesn't look "off")

[Brad_bb]

A water based urethane will give you the most natural look without yellowing.  I use a product called Zar Aqua on my Doug fir circle sawn flooring.  But it does not get walked on with shoes generally except up in our barn loft storage area.  But it's not high traffic.  I have it in my living space but I don't wear shoes inside. I like it. And pretty easy to prep and recoat if desired.  But with your rental, they will likely walk on it with shoes.

[Dan_Shade]

I used Basic coatings streetShoe 275 on a floor. It held up well for the 5 years we lived at that house.  We walked on it with shoes on.