Cost of oil-based vs water-based topcoat -- hardwood floors

2 years ago

Having my hardwood floors re-done soon, around 1300 sq ft. If I want water-based topcoat (3 coats) it is going to cost me about $1500 more than if they use an oil-based finish. Ouch! Is that a ridiculous price gouge, or is the product really that expensive compared to the oil-based?

I could go with the oil-based but I'm really, really hesitant because of all the chatter about ambering. I'm getting something in the medium brown range (think Provencial or Special Walnut, something along those lines) -- is ambering even a concern with mid tones as it is with light? (red oak floors) Aside from ambering, are oil-based topcoats really all that bad? I am sensitive to smells, so that is a big concern, too. I never had any problem with flooring work before, but it was always water-based coats.

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2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

Modern waterborne finishes are light years ahead of cheap stinky crappy Minwax oil. They're also light years ahead of cheap crappy non stinky Minwax waterbased.

The actual products being used are very important. You cannot just divide it into “oil“ and “water” and one is good and one is bad. That is Zoroastrian simplistic nonsense.

You want finish brands that train their installers how to use them. Bona is a prime example. Any idjot handyman can go to HD and pick up Minwax. And it sure shows in the level of work you get. Blaming crappy wear on the fact that it is ”water” based based, and not the fact that the low price, low skills, ”floor guy” just didn’t know what he was doing with a terrible quality product is a deflection of the first order.

A quality waterborne finish, done by a qualified and certified floooring professional, is worth way *more* than $1500.

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Comments (12)

Sherry Brighton
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Use oil. water base does not hold up. Be prepared to leave when it is being applied. I left mine natural. As for ambering I love the warm tone
herbflavor
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
get benjamin moore water based poly topcoat for floors and do the requisite 3-5 coats like i did......it goes faster than you think satin finish floors done in 2002. come and look and tell me it doesn't hold up,,WRONG....it does hold up and once over the last 20 yrs I applied an extra coat. ..... use the best product available ... do it as directed and it will hold up. dont sacrifice a couple bucks for something cheaper......go ahead and do an extra coat or two. this is not difficult and it will reward you. You do not need to use oil anymore. they research the heck out of this stuff and continuously improve all aspects of these products. ..wearability / looks/ ease of application.
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Well, first, thanks to all for not abusing me for failing to realize there is a GW Flooring forum. Duh. I have hung out for years on the kitchen and appliance forums and just assumed this would be the place to post. Appreciate all of you helping despite the mistake. At any rate, I did search Bona Traffic and clearly it's the only water-based poly that gets props. Otherwise, oil based is regarded as more durable than other water based polys. Not sure if we'll like the yellowing with the oil, but the floor guy is willing to do some samples so we can see. Would you reject water based if they can't do Bona Traffic (which I gather requires some expertise, and not all vendors will use it) and go with oil based? The location is second floor hallways and master bedroom, not super high traffic areas, but also the stairways, which do get a lot of traffic. Finally, can Bona Traffic be used over existing water based poly? It's time to rescreen our kitchen floors, which were done with generic water based (before I got smart and posted on GW).
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mxk3 z5b_MI
Original Author
2 years ago
I'm not doing it -- I'm paying a flooring company to do it, and paying for 3 coats. But $1500 more for water-based?!?! That is what I am questioning. See original post.
PRO
G & S Floor Service
2 years ago
It depends on the product that you are offered and comparing it to. There are different grades of water based polyurethane products. Some are lesser, equal and are better than oil. Find out which products you are being offerd and research it. You can then make a more inform decision.

Oil base over a medium to dark stain will add more warmth compared to a water based finish. Get samples with both finishes, then make a decision on which best fits your design idea and budget.
clt3
2 years ago
When we priced out Bona HD Traffic, the flooring company wanted twice as much as oil. $6/sq ft vs $3/sq ft.
Sherry Brighton
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
When we moved in we had the floors refinished with water based poly. The high traffic areas were a mess in no time. It just did not hold up. We had them all redone in 2016 with oil based and have had no issues at all.

My friend is having the same issues with her kitchen. She just asked me who did our floors because her kitchen has not held up.

Maybe water based poly has changed but, in my real life experience, it just couldn't compete with the oil based poly. Why pay more for something that will not hold up to regular use?
julieste
2 years ago
If you want durability, get the oil based. With stained floors you won't have any worries about darkening or yellowing. It's going to smell for a bit, but if you are doing all of your floors you won't be living there anyway during this time while it dries and cures.
Holly- Kay
2 years ago
I just had all my floors done with an Early American type stain though it wasn’t minwax, I can’t remember the brand. The topcoat is oil based in a satin finish and it is gorgeous. My new cabinets that sre being installed are natural maaple and they look gorgeous against the medium stain.
mxk3 z5b_MI
Original Author
2 years ago
@Holly- Kay Do you have any pics? Did the oil poly change the color a lot? What about the odor?
mxk3 z5b_MI
Original Author
2 years ago
Anyone else?
Lynn Ringley
2 years ago
I am going with water-based for our upstairs bonus room, landing, and stairs. I was quoted .80 cents more per sq ft for water-based. We would have spent that moving out for the week and boarding the dogs had we gone with oil. Based on what I've heard from others and reading online, a quality product (not from a big box store) and a good installer make all the difference.

Cost of oil-based vs water-based topcoat -- hardwood floors

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Sherry Brighton

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