You know maple is tough to stain, so that's the good news. If ou must have colour go darker than you think you need to. Maple does better with darker stains than light stains. The blotches are less noticeable. That's my light stains on maple are reserved for a factory finish.e does better with darker stains than light stains. The blotches are less noticeable. That's light stains on maple are reserved for a factory finish.

I LOVE the look of pale maple. I would, personally, use Loba's WS UVProtect to stop the yellowing of the maple and then use the Loba 2k Supra AT in satin. Stunning!

Thank you. We wanted to go dark but every single person I talked to warned me for the cleaning part. Also, I was told it has to be pretty dark color to not show the blotchiness. After seeing these pale light colors, we started leaning towards it as it gave a fresh and airy look.

Unfortunately, the quote includes Bona so have to go with that.

I have edited the picture with the name. Is there big difference between Classic & Natural?

We r liking #2(Natural) but open to #1(Classic) & #3( Classic mixed with color??).

With any of these options, I was thinking to go Traffic in Semi gloss sheen.

What’s your opinion on that? Also they said they will put the sealer and can do 1st coat finish and 2nd coat the same day. They also mentioned about mixing hardener so it can dry quicker but I feel I read on one of these posts it’s not a good idea. Am I correct?

The flooring guy has been very patient with my qs and would acknowledge with utmost professionalism. I am gonna wait to see what your recommendation is for the time span between sealing & each finish and will approach him .

Thanks again!! Appreciate your time.

OK...first thing you must know about maple...it gets STRONGER yellow tones as it is exposed to UV light (any light...even over head lighting). What does that mean?

Notice the pale moon-tones of the raw wood? If you leave them 'natural' (without a UV blocking agent) you will get DEEP YELLOW within a year....like the colour you are seeing with #3. That's the look you get WITHOUT a colourant or stain. Just letting the maple 'sit' in the light = deep yellow.

Are you prepared for that darkening? The colour you start out with TODAY WILL CHANGE. It will get darker and yellower. That's why I mentioned Loba's UV blocker = UVProtect. It is an additive that can be added to (almost any) water based product such as Bona Traffic HD.

The 'mixing of the hardener' is VERY specific. Very very specific. As in, "Set in a laboratory to achieve the BEST results for the homeowner," type of specific. A flooring pro who has been TRAINED by Bona (ahem...he paid to get himself to the Bona Training session...paid for 3 days of hotel...paid for food...etc...and NOT getting paid...) can finagle the use of the hardener. But it should NEVER BE left 'out' of an equation.

If you have a 2 part (2K = 2 Komponenten = German for 2 component) product, you REALLY MUST use the hardener as directed. Is it *possible to use it without the hardener? Yes. What is the benefit? LONGER working time (Bona Traffic HD = 2-5 minute wet edge = crazy-short).

What are the drawbacks? LOOOOOOONNNNNNNGGGGGGG dry times and even LOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEER 'cure' times. And, if that isn't bad enough, and your finish will NEVER perform the way the manufacturer says it will = total waste of money.

What is a LOOOONNNNNGGGG dry time? A day or two = you must have 2-4 DAYS between coats. If you are looking at 3 coats of finish = 8 days to COMPLETE the application of all three coats.

What does LONGER cure time = 30+ days for 2 coats....3 coats = 40+ or more. That means NO furniture...no feet (stocking or otherwise)...no pets...no moving in....no moving out....NOTHING. Don't even open the door! So IMAGINE the extra costs to stay where you are or for 30+ days in paid accommodations.

Right. Compare that to:

Day 1 (of liquids): 1 coat 'sealant' + 1 coat Bona Traffic HD

Day 2: 2 coats of Traffic HD (includes abrasion + tack cloth between coats)

Walking over the floor (stocking feet = NO WORK being done...just nipping in to grab your keys!!!) = 2 days (48 hours...not just "two sleeps").

Cure: (furniture allowed but NO AREA RUGS!!!!!!) 7 - 10 days. The 3+ coats is a longer cure than 2+ coats.

Full HARDNESS: (ahhhhh....that's something NO ONE talks about) 3-4 WEEKS (again the third coat means it needs another week of 'air time')

First 'damp clean': 3-4 WEEKS = sweeping ONLY....NO DAMP MOPPING.

Time to first area rugs: 8-12 months for MAPLE....because it needs TIME to darken/turn strong yellow.

Whew! There you go.

My advice: do NOT use someone else's sealant. Use BONA ONLY! Bona's IntenseSeal is the darkest sealant they have. It is probably #3....but confirm that please.

Do NOT let them 'play' with the hardener...it is VITAL to the health of your finish and your sanity and your cheque book. I kid you not.

Love your detailed explanation. Just to clarify, we are using Bona Sealant. We decided yesterday to go with #2, Bona Natural.

I apologize in advance but a little confused with long drying & curing time. Just to confirm you are saying its a good idea to use hardener for shorter drying/curing time.

I will also ask him regarding the UB blocker to be mixed to Bona traffic HD.

Thank you again.

@SJ McCarthy, thanks again. Nail polish example was perfect and got the idea(minus the tequila analogy as we don’t drink😜😜).

=;-} Glad to help! I never know what 'story' will cause an 'A-HAH' moment...so I try with two or three visuals....And good on you for keeping your money in the bank rather than sinking it into a Tequila bottle (hint: it NEVER comes back out no matter how long you talk to it...just sayin').

Thank you everyone again for helping me out!! Its all done and I am loving it. Adding the before & after pics to the original post.

Wow!

Your new finish is so gorgeous! Love your updated banister too!!

Really great to see someone else's 20-yr old maple floors refinished naturally (Bona water based). What a gorgeous final look! Congratulations!

We did our maple floors in similar approach about 4 years ago. Now I'm thinking about repainting the walls. Prior to refinishing the floors and the resulting pale satin look, we had done the walls in BM Lennox Tan in entry and the rest of the house BM Shaker Beige.

I love how your gray walls go so well with the light maple floors now. I was not considering gray walls --- what is the color you used? And also what color did you use on the trim?

BTW: While we've been happy with the natural water-based finish on the maple floors, we've had separation of the boards and dark lines with some looking downright dirty--about 1/3 of the floor is affected. I don't know if that is related to the water-based finish or humidity (we live in Pacific NW). I dread having to refinish again so soon.