SJ McCarthy , wonderful advice as always!

If a flooring professional has used the Supra AT, then they are well versed with the Loba 2 part products. And generally that is what is needed. The mixing and application of the Invisible Protect will be almost identical as the Supra AT. The application will be identical as well.

Rubio fumed total refinish cost is about $6-$7/ft where I live. Is that crazy expensive?

I would not do any of the hardwax type oils with any but the most experienced floor finisher. If the finisher can't discuss experience with products from Rubio, Loba and Palllmann they are just one of the many low cost poly finishers. Some of these guys are really good, but you don't want to talk them into using European products of which they have no experience.

In my conversations with higher end finishers Bona is largely considered a retail brand and generally considered somewhat inferior to similar products from Loba and Pallmann.

My kids are grown so I used Rubio in my house. (I enjoy waxing oiled wood furniture, so I'm a Rubio kind of guy). But if I still had kids at home I would do a high end two part water based surface finish. I would then be sure to pay for a "one day refinish" before the floors needed re-sanding. Fully refinishing floors is a major inconvenience for most households. Planning and using higher end material is well worth the cost for a long term home.

In my area the best two part water based urethane adds about $1.50/Sq ft. to a refinishing job. A high end "one day refresh" is also about $1.50/ft.

$6-7 psf. to apply a reactive stain, along with two coats of hard wax oil is correct. Reactive stains are not stable, even after applying oil. If, you want color, use colored oil or pre-colors. Use the reactive stain only if you want an aged look.

I'll add that, as a generality, that "apples to apples" a high end refinishers might cost $.50 more per sq foot in major markets. I consider that cost really inexpensive compared to other construction costs.

Refinishing stairs in an old house may be double with a higher end flooring company. The difference with a higher end flooring sub should be more time and experience applied to this work.

To seek a low price on higher end finishes like Rubio or Loba invisible is madness, in my opinion.

For some enterprising people the place to seek savings on a new unfinished floor is in the purchase of the material. The thrifty homeowner with some general contracting tendencies could consider buying the flooring online from a place like Hurst. This cuts the material cost in the range of 50%. The installer of the flooring and the finisher do not need to be from the same company. There are far more competent installers around than there are experienced finishers of high end European finishes.

Any competent GC can get a wood floor properly installed. But few have experience managing high end finishes. So in a remodel or new construction a homeowner does not need to entirely replace the GC's flooring contractor. Perhaps just replace the finisher if going high end.

If not going high end almost all areas have good small owner/operator refinishers. The best value is where the sub bidding the work is actually does the work. Get a quote, and then ask if there is an option for more expensive material. But don't talk these guys into using a finish they don't know unless you want your house to become a science experiment.

You can find the small local floor finishers your neighbors use on Nextdoor. However the companies doing high end European finishes need to be higher profile and will have web sites. The goal of a homeowner seriously considering a high end finish should be to identify the companies in the area who are regularly doing this type of work.

Most homeowners will compare cost and experience, not skill. A lot still consider wood floor finishing a commodity, so for them to invest in a high end finisher seems outrageous. Many still do not know the difference in result: quality and longevity.

G & S You have done a pretty good job teaching us to pay attention to skill. Thank you