No. What I meant is that any good finisher can give you close to an oil look, but not the other way around. Oil will give you that yellow look no matter what you try and do. I think moisture cure urethane can give you a clear natural look, but finding someone who still works with the product may be difficult. Get the look you want. If your GC's flooring people can't provide that, then break the finishing out of the project and find those that can. There is no reason to settle for a floor finishing that is not what you want. Ask your GC's flooring people for samples and if they aren't acceptable, then don't let them do your floors. And don't fall for the claim that oil is superior to waterborne; there is cheap and quality finishes in each category. If you choose waterborne, then be sure to do your homework and insist on an expensive, quality finish.

I attended a seminar on greenhouse management at the local botanical gardens. The best take-away was a solution to handle soft-bodied pests - something I have just used on my 45 year old calamondin - a miniature orange - as well as the key lime, which scale finds particularly inviting. A capful or two of 90% isopropyl alcohol, a couple of drops of Dawn in a 1 qt. sprayer. Swirl (not shake) to mix. I recently brought the calamondin out of its warm, winter home and gave it a good bath with the above mixture. A day later, most of the scale could be hosed off. Indeed, the carcasses of little buggers just smeared when touched.... I've always been hesitant using oils of any type on foliage. Nekkid plants is one thing, but I worry about tender foliage.... Cheers

I highly recommend Cabinet Coat Waterborne enamel. Expensive, but it holds up so well. I did my cabinets 7 or so years ago and they haven't chipped at all. I did do a TON of prep - really, the kitchen took me weeks and weeks because of all the prep I did, including washing/scrubbing, sanding, filling the grain, priming and spraying several coats (sanding between every step and every coat) - but I've been amazed with the quality of the paint. Done this way, the finish looks factory-done. For my trim, I also use cabinet coat enamel, but I don't do all that prep, since you're generally not as hard on the trim as on the kitchen cabinets. I usually clean them well and do a small amount of sanding, just to dull the sheen. Prime with a good primer (one for shiny surfaces), use a good brush with fine bristles and the brushstrokes will be not very noticeable. It's true that there is a danger of over-brushing, and that results in brushstrokes, but I have found that the Cabinet Coat is at least as good as an oil based paint as far as brushstrokes go, and I haven't had any trouble with chipping or wear. Spraying is the best, if you can go that route, as paintguy says, but you can use a brush and get good results. Just lay the paint down in the right amount, brush through it once and leave it alone - and keep a wet edge - do small sections at a time - with trim, that's not too hard. If you are still getting brush strokes, maybe add some floetrol, to thin it a bit. The main problem I have with Cabinet Coat is that it goes bad (the leftover paint) quickly - not sure why, but it doesn't last nearly as long as the cheap valspar or other paints. It's expensive so if you go this route, don't buy more than you will use - or not much more, because it will start to go bad in....maybe a couple months? It will smell terribly.

Those cabinets were finished with gloss latex applied with a 1" diameter thin nap roller and a 2" angled brush(for cut in) after a coat of BIN primer. The doors were removed(trim was also removed and spray painted brushed nickle from a rattle can) and painted flat. The boxes were painted in place. Several keys to a good paint job. Preparation is the most important. The trim was removed. Everything was washed with water and dish soap solution, rinsed(damp rag) , let dry. A light sanding to knock down the build up from the trim/doors being varnished together and a coat of BIN applied with the 1" diameter roller. Why a 1" diameter roller rather a larger type? Air bubbles. Or rather the absence of air bubbles. Seems counter to do that, but the smaller roller actually is faster. Technique is the next area. Those smaller rollers also minimize roller lines, which show up after the paint is applied. Primer often looks terrible when applied. As long as the coverage is complete, the visual look is unimportant. No roller lines, no blobs, and no bare spots. That is where the technique is important. Wet edges allow the primer(or paint) to mix seamlessly. Starting a row in the middle, ending with rolling form one end to the other. Never start a roll in the field after the initial application. You can end in the field by pulling the roller up off the surface, but starting leaves a mark. In the example of those kitchen cabs, once a door was primed and painted, the door was inspected by looking at an angle(with a light) to insure the surface was completely smooth. By doing that, you can see any imperfections. Good primer and correct primer application makes any paint look better. Don't over roll and especially don't over brush. The more you roll over an area, the more chance something bad will happen. Trust the paint. Good paint will self level to a point. Very shallow brush lines with disappear with good paint. I favor man made brushes. Purdy is my usual. Brushes are designed to hold paint inside the bristles. Overloading a brush lessens the ability of the brush to load and apply the primer/paint. There is usually no need to have more than 2" of paint(end of bristles up) on the brush. Less is more. That is why the technique is so important. Using a roller is usually easier than using a brush because the roller applies more material per pass. With the correct application technique, there is little visual difference between the two ways of applying material. Spraying is an entirely different process. The only similarity is the material is either primer of paint. Everything else is different. Except for the wet edge and over application factors. I do not recommend DIYers try spraying interior finishes. Way too much prep(covering everything(including floors) and a lot of experience with the spraying equipment.