In my area my distributors are pushing the roller method hard. Tried it. Dont like it. I will use a t-bar anyday of the week over any other pad or mop method. But thats just me.

I find the tbar allows me to cover everything and requires me to go over everywhere at least 2 times.

One thing i always do and it completely dependant on the layout of the floor but any small areas ie a closet, behind the kitchen island, any small nooks. Basically anything i can make a clean cut off i do first so im not slowing down and dealing with tacky areas that sit for too long.

Applying water only gets easier friend.

Also with t-bar method its weighted so its easier to control the thickness of finish.

And you do not overwork waterborne...no need to. Overworking the finish during application can lead to problems. Let the finish flow and level on its own. What you want to achieve is an equal thickness film throughout the floor with no puddles or drips. The product will flow downhill, so be aware of any slopes in the floor and adjust your work accordingly to avoid puddling at the base of any slope.

As gregmills says, T-bar applicator is the best. But, if you need to use a 10" flocked foam applicator pad on your hands and knees, it can be done. I tried rolling too...just don't like it.

Let me scan the interwebz quick for a good pic of a t-bar. If i cant ill snap a pic of mine tomorrow.

Alright i found a couple.

This is a shot of the tbar in action

Thanks so much for the encouragement and tips!

If the tbar lays the finish down faster and more evenly, that would be the way to go - esp if it gives you a little more time to look for goofs and fix them.. since my area is small they gave me a 10 inch cut in pad which I put on a pole and used same snowplow maneuvers, but Im thinking Ill get the wider tbar for the larger more open area downstairs .

Greg - by clean cut off, do you mean you would tape off the nooks and odd areas and deal with them separately?

Instructions say 1-2 seal coats - how would you judge whether to give it a second application?. Theres some shine in some places but mostly flat where it soaked in more . I assume the next two coats of Mega will build it up to an even shine - or do I want to build up the sealcoat in areas where its flat (some areas were sanded more heavily than others I think and thats where it soaked in more)? The color is good as it is, the Mega will add slightly more amber or so they say.

This post was edited by kashka_kat on Thu, Sep 12, 13 at 5:35

removed double post

This post was edited by kashka_kat on Thu, Sep 12, 13 at 5:34

Thanks for those pictures, Greg. Only one layer of Bona Traffic HD was laid, so I am thinking of asking about a second. It's glossy enough, but I always thought 2 coats of finish were done.

kasha, you've asked a great question-re: additional sealer, then Mega. Be real careful here. Original floor man didn't seal, and our Bona Traffic just disappeared into the wood. GL.

Sparklingwater, one question I had for the pro's is how do they learn and become pro's - surely, they wouldnt want to practice and make mistakes on the customer's floors. But after reading yours and other posts, I think maybe that's exactly what they do - some of them anyway!!. Im just a newbie and simple research online tells you which Bona products require sealer, and which dont (self sealing). The stuff is not cheap - actually, the sealer is less expensive than the final finish - your guy maybe thought he was saving money, but actually wasn't.

kashka
Others may disagree but my feeling is that even a professional is always learning. Unless you're doing identical tract houses you're going to have variations and potentially unique challenges in every job.
Once you've applied one coat, make a note of where you made mistakes and form a plan that will ensure you don't make the same ones again. The best thing you can do besides having more lighting is to have a helper/spotter. They can brush in the edges and around doorways just ahead of you and spot holidays or puddles.
The method of taping off areas and doing them separately is also effective.

Sparklingwater
I assume you're referring to a recoat, not a complete resand down to raw wood. In that case, one coat should be sufficient. It's actually somewhat preferable, because every time the floor is abraded and recoated, the grain gets filled in, the floor looks smoother and imperfections show more readily. If you wear through the topcoat down to the coat below in short order, you're doing something wrong.

Greg, yes my job (new kitchen area, DR, Study) is a re-coat. He lightly abraded the surface with fine grit sandpaper on a machine that also vacuums, then applied the new Bona Traffic HD coat.

khallock, I don't have an answer to your pro question but one who hurries the job either from lack of planning for the surface area or to get on and out of the house is not a Pro. Bona has the very precise instructions to floor specialists for how to refinish floors with their products.

Bona recommends 2 coats of Bona Traffic HD, as I called Bona technical this morning to confirm, and that is what was written in this project's contract. Indeed, a "holiday" or missed spot was found in the kitchen when we finally walked in stocking feet on the floors again 2 days after first finish was applied. This "holiday" could have been caught had the second coat been applied. This now has caused more angst. Bona says since more than 48 hours has transpired since the first Bona finish coat, it must be lightly sanded again to allow adhering of the second finish coat.

khallack, you might want to talk with prior customers, i don't know, but twice burned makes a pit in one's stomach. This will be remedied but it takes the wind out of one's sails. And I'm tired of being yelled at by floor refinishers who are well paid. As if it's my responsibility to tell them how to do their job.

Ok. Sorry ive been working all day so ill try to get to as many questions as i can.

By clean cut offs i mean like a closet for example that the boards dont run into it. If i can coat an area without leavin finish across multiple boards then ill do that first. For instance in a kitchen. If there is a center island. I might do the one side where i can end on row.

As far as number of seal coats. You should only need one. Thats not to say you cant do two. But generally the seal coat is also going to give the color too. So lets say you edges are a little dry or you missed getting finish in a corner then you would want to add another seal coat or the very least spot fix those troubled areas. Because once you add the regular finish that might tend to give a different shade of color.

Now with bonaseal you dont have to abrade between coats if you do it wuthin i think a couple of hours after the seal coat. But i always do abrade between coats.

A rule of thumb is a seal coat followed by 2 regular coats. So a total of 3.
If staining. Then its stain then 2 coats of urethane. When i water pop a floor i will add a 3rd coat just because after two it can still be a tad rough.

As for who can call themselves a pro? I think if you get paid for a job you could technically call yourself a pro. But for me i didnt consider myself a pro until i had many years of experience.

I never stop learning. Theres always something i can learn. I dont always learn something everyday but i never pass up an opportunity.

About to put on the last count- why am I so nervous!

Actually, Im very impressed with this product - last night I was sure I goofed up part where i was trying to back out the door and would have to sand it over and re-do - only to find this a.m. it had smoothed out nicely. Its semi gloss, and the sheen is so smooth and even its amazing .

I need to improve my line-pouring. Could not get an even straight line for the life of me -[ it seems to just belch out of the container in spurts.. IThen it was dripping down the side of the container and onto the floor, where Id step in it = and then get all flustered. Tonight I'll have a wet rag ready to wipe the drips.

Yes,, it is indeed a learning experience!

Yeah those drips that run down the side of the bottle irrate me as well.
Keeping a rag is a good idea. But also as long as your moving at a good pace. Any drips that get on the floor wont affect the end product too much as long as they dont sit for more than a few minutes.

kasha_kat, how do you like your floors now that it's been a week? After the Bona Deeptone Sealer did you do a Bona semigloss finish?

2nd coat of Bona Traffic HD semigloss applied today-floors look good, just hope no obvious missed spots (but they'd be more obvious with just one coat). Nice product. Hard it seems consistent with HD (Highly Durable).

Hi Sparkling, yes I completed 2nd coat of Mega semi-gloss. It looks great, has exceeded all expectations. When I figure out my phone camera thingie I can post a picture. I should mention that this floor was a goner, 100 year old fir that had been sanded too much and was down to splintered tongue and grove in 2 places. Not all the old poly could be removed because of the thinness. Actually the surface layer is mostly gone, but the ambering remained in places, there's some dings, dents and scratches, and sanding mistakes.... but sanding it a bit to brighten it and smooth out the surface and then applying the silky smooth finish has transformed it from junk floor to.... dare I say it, fashionably "distressed" antique flooring. The color I think is nicer than the usual oil poly, more of a lighter honey color than the heavy amber brown. Anyway, its good for another 5-10 years at least and I can be on the lookout for some vintage maple to replace it someday. Or not! Thanks, all.

PS - have some left over for kitchen - for which I will use paint layering and sanding back to lower layers and bare wood, and then coat of poly over. Assume the Mega will go over paint (thin sanded layers). Kitchen has too much black water stain for a normal refinishing - its hopeless.