Oil vs Water Poly Finish for Red Oak -- and what color should I choose

3 years ago

hi! I am having a terrible time deciding what color to choose for my 25 year old red oak floors that are painted that traditional yellow look. I have two small kids and we are getting a dog, so I believe I should go with the oil finish over water. I will really need to be able to easily wipe up messes, wipe off accidental markers / crayon markings on the floor, etc... Also, I am liking the provincial, but sometimes think its too brown, the espresso is too dark and then many others are too red/orange (Red Oak, Federal American). Any suggestions on mixing that looks great? I am looking for farmhouse style, the house is a traditional oversized colonial. Grey is no-go. PLEASE HELP!! Thank you!!!

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SJ McCarthy
3 years ago
OK...oil based poly STINKS for WEEKS afterwards. And it turns the 'orange yellow' you are describing. And it will turn ANY COLOUR you choose to an orange tone. If you like the idea of the finish off-gassing for 30+ days while you try to find a place for yourself and kids and dog to live, you are welcome to go with it.

I'm not a fan of oil based. The VOC contents are ASTRONOMICAL (880 g/L in one of them...compare that to the CARB requirement of LESS THAN 175 g/L in California). Many of these finishes are illegal in California and the 11 states that have adopted the CARB II indoor air quality requirements.

It is a myth that oil based finishes are TOUGHER than water based. Polyurethane is polyurethane is polyurethane. The issue is when you go for the same PRICE TAG as the oil based finishes. A low-priced oil based finish (that has been on the market since the 60s without so much as a PRINTING up date on the can let alone a recipe change) is DIRT CHEAP. Why? Because those companies made their money DECADES AGO. Now they are just enjoying the HORDES of money from the investment they made in the 1950s (nope...not kidding).

If you get a 'dirt cheap' (aka DIY level product from Home Depot!!!) water borne poly you will get what you paid for = a DIY level finish that is not as tough as the toxic stuff from the 60's.

The TRICK is to work with HIGH PRICED water based finishes. The stuff that comes in 2 part products (call the finish and the hardener/catalyst). They carry big names like Bona or Loba. They carry high price tags (like double or triple the cost of the toxic stuff). They also carry VERY IMPRESSIVE wearability.

The big boys from the big boys (Bona Traffic HD or Loba 2K Supra AT) are the toughest finishes outside of a factory. They are MAGNIFICENT. The PROFESSIONALS that work these finishes are the best of the best as well (or should be...some hammer swinging 'guys' give it a go once in a while and it shows...). And those people are not CHEAP. Why? Because they took the time out of the schedules and money out of their own pockets to attend the 3-5 day training courses for these finishes. Only the DEDICATED do that. Everyone else just looks it up on Youtube.

My quest to you is: How happy would you be to find the house unlivable for as many as 30 days because of the stench? Are you a migraine sufferer? Do you get nose bleeds? How about your kids? Does anyone in your family have 'sensitivities', allergies, asthma, COPD, etc? If anyone has any of these things I've listed, then oil based is out.

I've seen people get nose bleeds from sleeping in a home with freshly finished floors with oil based poly. Some vomit. Most have BLINDING headaches. Migraine sufferers can't go further than the front steps...the smell stopping them from entering the house.

Just because it says 'can be walked on' in 1 day and furniture back in 5 days...doesn't mean the SMELL is gone.
Katherine Mary thanked SJ McCarthy
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I was not specific enough sorry. We are refinishing our old floor and we have added a lot of new flooring (due to cat urine from prev owners) We were going to stain the floors before putting on the final protective coating which in our case we have chosen "street shoes" a water based very durable coating, from what we have heard. We were going to use English Chesnut as the stain but feel it is too dark for the second floor. I have been able to see many pictures of "Natural" stain on the internet. But we are considering no stain just the clear floor with coating of the finish to protect the floors. In our last home I believe the red oak was sanded and then poly oil based was applied. I did not like how orange it became over time. That is why I am not wanting to use poly this time. So I am looking for any pics of floors that were sanded and then not stained, not even with "Natural" and then were sealed with something other than the yellowing poly. I hope this explains it a little better. Thanks for your help!! Amy
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Oil vs Water Poly Finish for Red Oak -- and what color should I choose

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SJ McCarthy

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