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Best floor finish for maple hardwood?

3 years ago

We are having our maple floors refinished and have dogs. They've been particularly hard on our current oil based finish. While it looked gorgeous when first completed, it does not look good now. I was set on the Loba Supra 2k AT, but our contractor is getting push back from refinishing companies. The first one told him that maple is too hard and he doesn't recommend any of the water based. Is this just a cop out or a legitimate beef because they're maple and not oak? Suggestions?

Sorry for the gates, new puppies.

Featured Answer

PRO

G & S Floor Service

3 years ago

Buying online, a good reason for the one contractor to overcharge.

If, Bona is locally sourced, use Bona products. If, you run short, have to touch up or rework. There is no issue getting the product. One less headache. There are most likely Bona Certified Craftsman in your area. For a well reputable contractor call the rep for a referral. If, you visit the Bona website for referrals, choose the contractor with the highest education credentials for your area.

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Comments (9)

PRO
G & S Floor Service
3 years ago
With dogs, use a finish with high solids. 40-50% is ideal. It will help prevent indentations from their paws.
clt3 thanked G & S Floor Service
SJ McCarthy
3 years ago
Ha! I was about to suggest the Loba 2K Supra AT! Snicker! I was also going to suggest the UV Protect additive to STOP the maple from turning yellow (which maple does...quite happily). They are copping out.

I've sold Loba 2K Supra AT (satin is nice as low gloss...if you want a bit of sheen you will work with the semi-gloss). I'm a HUGE fan. I've used it on CORK...and it does EXTREMEMLY well against dogs' nails. Cork is the softest hardwood in the world...if the 2K Supra AT works on cork it will be AWESOME on Maple.

Traditionally an oil based finish, with THREE coats, is one of the toughest finishes on the market. But you'll notice there is a caveat = 3 coats is a must! If your oil based finish is looking beaten up, I'm going to take an educated guess - they only used 2 coats (saves time and money!).

Now for the stuff about Loba 2K Supra AT = very expensive. It retails for $195 - $225 USD. Yep. It is EXPENSIVE. And GUESS who has to take on that expense - before they get paid? The refinishers. If you assume a 'good' oil based polyurethane retails for $80/gallon, you can see why they are trying to push back on this item.

I personally would look at using the combination:

1. UV Protect Additive ($60 - $80/container = enough for 1 gallon) for the first coat of,

2. Loba 2K Supra AT Gloss (assume $200/gallon = 525sf of coverage): 1st coat

3. Loba 2K Supra AT Gloss (assume $200/gallon = 550sf of coverage): 2nd coat

4. Loba 2K Supra AT "Your choice of sheen" (assume $200/gallon = 600sf of coverage): 3rd coat

Just the materials alone will increase their bid by $1.50/sf. Tell them you are willing to pay the upcharge for the materials. You understand the Loba 2K Supra AT is expensive and you are more than willing to pay the extra.

That should calm their feathers. But be aware: Loba is HIGHLY sensitive to LOW temps. And by low, they mean +45 F or lower (5C or lower). Getting hold of some in the winter is like hunting for Leprechauns....unless you live close enough to N.C. that you can drive to the factory.
clt3 thanked SJ McCarthy
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Hello, Houzzers! We're building a home... hubby will need wheelchair soon. We want hardwood floors throughout, except at entryways, etc. We had our hearts set on white oak hardwood. Now we're thinking about maple because it's a bit harder. Don't like hickory, too busy visually for us. We're not wild about maple's color shift to margarine yellow, so we'd probably use Loba UV Protect to keep the yellow at bay. But we still like white oak better. Questions: 1. If we use the Loba UV product, how long will that UV protection last? 2. Will Loba 2K Supra AT as the top coats (3?) provide enough protection from a wheelchair? 3. Is maple that much harder than white oak, or do you think white oak will be tough enough for wheelchair abuse? 4. Our builder suggested pre-finished flooring, says it will be tougher. If we need it to be refinished in a few years, that may be trickier than just regular hardwood. Or is he correct? Thank you!
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PRO
G & S Floor Service
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One coat of easy prime and three coats of Supra AT will make a world of difference compared to one coat easy prime and two coats Supra AT. It puts you well over 100% solids.
clt3
Original Author
3 years ago
Bringing this back up to the top. How do you find a contractor who will actually use the Loba? So far 4 have said they will only use oil, one said he would use it but was almost twice as much as the others and I’m not really sure he’s ever used it before. $3000 vs $5700.
PRO
G & S Floor Service
3 years ago
Find a Loba sales rep in your area and contact them for a referral.
clt3 thanked G & S Floor Service
clt3
Original Author
3 years ago
Unfortunately, there are none.
PRO
G & S Floor Service
3 years ago
If, there are no reps. How are you getting the product?
clt3
Original Author
3 years ago
Online. But I have found a local source for Bona Traffic HD.

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