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sasametz1s

Polyurethane suggestions on stairs?

6 years ago
I’m converting my stairs from carpet to hardwood; I ripped the carpet off, bought raw red oak tread caps, stained them to my desired color in an oil-based dark stain, and now wondering what is the most durable/scratch resistant polyurethane I can apply on top? Or is Rubio Monocoat a better option?

I applied Minwax Ultimate Floor Finish in satin (water-based) to my scrap piece of stained wood as a tester and I was able to scratch it with my fingernail, leaving me apprehensive to apply to the treads. Note: the oil stained wood had dried for 72hrs before applying the water based poly and it scratched after the poly cured for 48hrs.

I have a 37lb dog and heard poly will get scratched by dogs no matter what, but I’m really opposed to a carpet runner/non-slip pads. So please advise the most durable/scratch resistant top coat for these stair treads. Thank you!

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