There's a whole flooring forum that can also help you..

Here is a link that might be useful: alot of

If I had it to do over, I would go with oil-based for sure.

Thanks, forboystoo. I've researched this for a week, and was hoping to get personal experiences here. I've read everything on the flooring forum.

Cyn, why do you say that?

We chose water base, we used Bona Traffic Commercial grade HD (High Durability) Extra Matte finish last year when we installed our oak floors. With two mid sized dogs that love to race and run around, and another two dogs that visit often, I've been very happy with our choice so far. The floor and the finish seems to wear like iron with any pet messes or pet/human traffic, I have yet to find any scratches, but it's only been a year and the rustic grade flooring and monochromatic custom staining I chose seem to hide everything so they may just be very hard for me to see.

I love the matte finish, just a very light sheen, makes the floors look like just natural wood and not like plastic.

The Bona HD is very low VOC, which is important to me, as I can be sensitive, and the slight odor it had, diminished within 24 hours of application. When my parents had some oil finish put on their floors the rooms smelled for a month after, not sure how typical that is with the oil finishes though.

Dee, are you refinishing the older original floors as well? If not, I would stay consistent with oil base finish.

I have always used oil base and think it wears like iron, and you are right, it does have a tendency to "orange" with age but I don't mind that. I have "added" some of my floors over the years as we have remodeled or built on and they always blend well with the old original 40 year old floors.

I can't say anyting negative about water base finish, because have never had experience. It seems from reading these forums that there are some very good quality ones on the market. Perhaps Olychick will speak up - she has some type of Swedish finish she likes - not sure if that is oil or water.

One piece of advice I will share that I learned in my research as well as experience. Even if you don't want a high gloss, I would recommend your first two coats be high gloss, and top with satin or matte or semi (whichever you prefer). The high gloss initial coats enhance the clarity of the wood vs using other finishes which can be cloudy looking.

Tuesday

Dee, we had the original hardwood floors refinished before we moved into our 1960 ranch. I thought three coats of water-based sounded better than two coats of oil-based, so I chose that. I have found that it does scratch. Even though it doesn't look that bad except for a couple spots (top of stairs from basement and doors to backyard) where the dogs look like cartoon characters as their legs seem to go, go, go without actually moving any place as they rush to the door, I have always thought the oil-based would have been stronger. Of course, this was 16 years ago and what roobear describes sounds good. Maybe products are better now.

If I ever have the energy, I will have them redone with oil-based. We have a clear satin finish on our white oak floors and I really do love that.

Good Point Tuesday, we used satin, with a final coat of the matte finish.

Wow, cyn, 16 years is a lot! We added wood to the bedroom, right down a short hall to the kitchen, and the family room, right off the kitchen. The finisher is going to sand the dining room, kitchen, hallway, living room, and bedroom, altogether, then poly it, so I can choose whichever I want.

Roobear, thank you for your input. It's just what I was looking for. If I remember correctly, the contractor said the finisher was going to use the Bona Traffic. That's also what my research showed was the best water-based, so I'm glad to hear you like yours.

DH finally admittted to me tonight (after I asked him for his input like a thousand times!) that he liked the lighter look the water-based gives.

Thanks to everyone,
Dee

re refinished our 1937 floors, and we struggled with what to do - water base or oil! I really wanted oil, but we went with the Bona... main reason, is that I didn't want the color change under the rugs. One room, in the back - was refinished with oil, it doesn't get much sun at all, but we just moved the rug (7 months later) and the floors have lightened already! I went out into the bright, sunny living room and looked - no color change at all. So, I'm glad we decided on Bona water (there are different & cheaper water-base products, I recommend Bona)

Thanks, tinker. That is another reason I'm leaning now toward water. We get a lot of sun in the front of the house, and area rugs. I like that water does change the color.
Dee

Hi Dee!

Your question is one that many people are asking these days. Unfortunately to complicate the matter, there is a lot of misinformation out there regarding this issue. I have been in the hardwood flooring industry for 17 years and self employed for 10. After carefully researching the advancements of commercial grade water based products, we made the decision to exclusively offer these products in our services. I can assure you that there is nothing on the market that is outwearing or outperfoming these finishes. One of my very satisfied customers breeds dogs as a hobby and currently has 12 Tibetan Mastiffs. Yikes!! Talk about a durability test! All wood floors should be maintained with an occasional coat of finish after roughly 3-5 years. You could wait longer but if done at appropriate intervals you can forgo the sanding and refinishing process altogether. A lot of flooring contractors will tend to spin the information about products in effort to cajole you into whats easiest for them to apply. Most of them have years of experience with swedish or oil based products and very little with waterborne which naturally sways their advice on which product is better. Be sure to look up "commercial grade" water based floor finish and see for yourself what all the recent money spent in research and development has allowed them to come up with. Best of luck and warm regards!