Hello all, Thought I might chime in. What do I need to do after the final coat of finish is applied? The first 7 days are the most critical after applying Waterlox Original Tung oil finishes. Please adhere to the following practices: After the last coat is applied, we advise staying off the floor for at least 24 hours. After this time, the floor may be used for sock traffic only. No shoes or bare feet (oils from the skin may dull the surface). Â During the first 7 days keep room/ambient temperature above 70 degrees Fahrenheit if possible. Continue to cross-ventilate the room to help replenish the required oxygen needed to cure the finish. Â Avoid common household spills in newly finished rooms for the first 7 days (cleaning spills with cleaners may damage or dull the finish as the film has not obtained its full chemical resistance properties). Â Red rosin paper or non-abrasive throw rugs can be used in high traffic areas after 48 hours but should be removed each night, as the finish needs direct oxygen exposure to cure. Â After 7 days, (depending on drying conditions) replace furniture and throw rugs. Be sure to use felt pads on the bottom of all furniture to help prevent scratching of the finish. Some woods, such as American cherry and pine, oxidize themselves and will naturally darken during the first month. To achieve a consistent color across the entire floor, you may not want to place area rugs on the floor during this period. We recommend that you consult the wood manufacturer. Â Since the final cure of the finish occurs after 30-90 days, we recommend using caution for this period of time. How often will I need to re-coat my Waterlox Original Tung oil surface? Waterlox Original Tung oil finishes are penetrating oil finishes, that when applied and allowed to dry as per our recommendations will form a film that is tough enough to be used and walked/worked on. Re-coating will depend on wear, use and type of use. The beauty is that you can clean the floor with TSP and water, perform a clear water rinse and reapply more of the Waterlox Original Tung Oil finish that was your last coat. This may be anywhere between 7-10 years in a residence. To spot repair/maintain other more used areas, please refer to our maintenance section. How are Waterlox Tung Oil products different from other finishes? Waterlox Tung Oil Products are a unique blend of Tung oil (pressed from the nut of the Tung tree), phenolic resin (also known as Bake-A-Lite), mineral spirits and driers. This formula is heated (polymerized) into a varnish that gives the user all the attributes of a natural oil finish with the durability of modern finishes. Raw oils or Danish oils: While Waterlox Original Tung oil finishes contain a superior drying oil, Tung Oil, they are not drying oils; they are fully cooked varnishes, which dry quicker and form permanent films tough enough to walk on and take daily abuse. Waterlox Original Tung oil finishes are also waterproof and chemical resistant (alcohol and alkali), while raw oils and Danish oil will water spot. Raw oils will also remain tacky until dry, are usually not recommended for use on floors. Linseed oil: Waterlox provides deeper penetration to seal wood fibers beneath the surface. Waterlox is waterproof and will not water spot like linseed oil, nor will it yellow like pure linseed or linseed oil modified coatings. Solvent or water-based urethanes: Urethanes sit on top of the wood surface. To properly use a urethane product, sanding is required for adhesion purposes and to touch-up any imperfections. Waterlox never requires sanding for adhesion and touch-ups can be done at any time without sanding. Waterlox forms a protective finish that won't chip, peel, crack or wrinkle. Hope this helps, Chip Schaffner - Waterlox

It's important the exterior plate is separated from the concrete, even if it's treated. If the plate appears fine now, covering up with interior finishes could inhibit drying, leading to rot. Vast majority of sill sealers do a terrible job of actually sealing the space between wood and masonry. It's often the leakiest transition in most homes. Most concrete caulks are polyurethane based but double check. Definitely not self leveling for that application. Canned spray foam would be a poor choice for sealing anything other than obvious cracks say bigger than ~3/4". For best performance, caulk beads should be tooled something like this: Caulk is a good first step but there is a lot of expansion and contraction going on at this transition which is why you should span the crack with a high quality acrylic tape like 3M 8067 or Siga Wigluv with concrete primed by Siga dockskin. These tapes will do a better job of sealing a transition that sees a lot of movement and variation throughout the years and seasons.

Before adding any product to the entire wall as a backsplash became "a thing", most backsplashes over countertops were a single four or six inch high row of tile w/rounded top edging either on the tile or separate rounded trim piece. Wall tile was usually reserved for behind/above/around the stove. The wall above that four or six inch row of tile was painted or wallpapered, enabling easy hanging of trivets or spice racks or bars with hooks for cooking spoons, etc., so, if you're undecided about your backsplash but, short term, want to protect the wall from any spills, you could always go with that retro idea -- something which would be easier and less costly to replace than a mistake made because your hurried the process.

I think most of the "warmer" tone you get with oil-based poly comes from the absorption of the poly directly into the wood on the first coat; i.e., it has a slight "staining" effect (this is based on my own observations when we do site-finished floors on our projects). Since your wood has already been sealed with water-base poly, putting oil-based poly on top of it (even assuming it would adhere properly) probably wouldn't have much of a "warming" effect. My recommendation would be to add some water-based stain to the water-based poly you're already using and try applying a coat or two of that to get the "warmer" tone you're looking for.