skip to main content

Design Dilemma Flooring

Bona craft oil + traffic hd - the good, the bad, and the ugly?!

last year

We are refinishing 800sf of white oak flooring in our house and started freaking out a bit about oil-based stains and VOCs - really want to keep harmful stuff to a minimum. Bona craft oil seemed like a really good choice as the voc level is super low. Does anyone have any experience with using this on their floors? Photos and stories would be much appreciate!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

PRO
G & S Floor Service
last year
The Good:

Bona craft oil will give you more design ideas as far as color combinations. You can layer colors or mix it for more custimization. Craft oil is zero VOC compared to traditonal stains which is 250 VOC. If, you want a ceruse look. This is the type of finish to use.

The Bad:

Craft oil cost much much more for material and labor. Not all products will be in-stock. Sampling can cost quite a bit of money. Craft oil is just more of a expensive way to stain your floor.

The Ugly:

Typical finish, If, the floor cannot be prepped properly this finish will not look and feel good. Water popping is a must for sufficient oil penetration.
PRO
Laura Marsh
Original Author
last year
Thanks so much! I think we are going to go with Amberseal plus Traffic HD, which still seems low voc and should have some depth. (Btw thank you for all your comments on previous posts - amazingly helpful.)
Related Discussions
Is this normal? Hard wood floor grain with Bona Traffic HD
Q
Comments (16)
I have the same problem! It's so frustrating. We 104 year old white pine floors that we refinished and coated with Bona. A sealer and two coats. We used a sealer and two coats on the Doug fir floors elsewhere in our house and they are VERY smooth, the floor is like one continuum. We refinished maple floors in our former home - no problem there. The oak has tons of grain rise. So so bumpy. I thought it might be due to a) the large-ish gaps between most of the boards - the poly got thinned out as it sank into the holes and b) short cure time of the sealer since the weather was cool and damp. I lightly sanded between the coats of poly. Our plan is to buff, recoat and repete. Do you guys think the rentalable buffer would sand it down enough?
...See More
Minwax stain under Bona Traffic HD
Q
Comments (45)
Y123,,I had to research it, but yes! Crayons make an excellent filler for small gouges or holes in resilient flooring. Select a colour that closely matches the floor. Melt the crayon in the microwave on medium power over a piece of greaseproof paper, until you have a pliant glob of colour. With a plastic or putty knife, fill the hole. https://www.woodshopnews.com/columns-blogs/filling-voids-knots-and-dents For smaller voids like thin cracks and pinhole knots, wax is great way to go. Wax comes in a variety of colors and a few hardnesses. For very small voids no larger than 1/16”, I like to use rub-in blending sticks. In a pinch, crayons will work. Simply rub it in or use a heat gun to melt the wax and drip it into the void. After it hardens in a few seconds, remove the surrounding smear by rubbing the wax flush with a hard block of wood wrapped in a cotton rag and a few drops of mineral spirits. I believe you can mix a little wood stain into wax and make your own color. you don't have to use a crayon (unless you have the exact color crayon!)
...See More
Bona Traffic HD - question for those who have it/use it
Q
Comments (15)
For a satin, that is pretty low-gloss for a fresh coat. I'm more familiar with Loba's satin and they are much shinier then yours. I would let them be for a week and then view them once more before you move back in. If you are still SUPER UPSET by the gloss level, then pay the cost to have another coat added and you sleep elsewhere for another week. And remember: do NOT lay area rugs for at least 4 weeks. And preferably for 6 months. Wood will do a little bit of colour change after a sand/refinish. You want to ensure everything changes in the same way. Personally, I would be happy with this gloss level with any satin at any time. Considering this is fresh, I think you have a very good satin about to show up. Just give it a week and then see how you feel.
...See More
White Oak: Floor Pros! Qs on Nordic and Bona “haze”
Q
Comments (73)
I really appreciate these updates! It looks like the Bona products have really held up as far as color is concerned. We have LVP throughout and just purchased white oak stair treads. I tried and tried to match with stain but the yellow kept bleeding through. I’m now considering the Bona finish on my treads and keeping the natural oak look. Unfortunately the Bona is only sold in large sizes and I will probably use less than half of it. Your treads look really good! You said they were stained with minwax weathered oak. Do you happen to know if there was a sealer applied first or what the top coat was if any? I think that’s where I may be going wrong. Any advice you can offer is greatly appreciated! Thanks again for taking the time!
...See More
Kendrah
last year
When you say SEEMS low-voc, what are you using to judge? You should be able to download a Materials Saftey Data Sheet - MDSD one websites for all of these products and see how many VOCs are actually in them. There is so much green washing these days about low VOCs. Do your research to make sure.
PRO
Laura Marsh
Original Author
last year
Traffic is 150 per gallon and amberseal is 275 - both waterbased, and greenguard certified. Not zero voc like rubio monocoat but we felt rubio finish would be too flat for us and too high maintenance for our lifestyle

Related Stories

MOST POPULAR 5 Remodels That Make Good Resale Value Sense — and 5 That Don’t

By Matt Clawson

Find out which projects offer the best return on your investment dollars

PETS Good Dog! Cute Pooches at Home

The dogs of Houzz take you on a tour of their homes and show you where they lounge, eat, play, bathe and nap

FURNITURE How to Keep Your Upholstery Looking Good

By Becky Dietrich, Interior Designer

You wouldn't expect your car to maintain itself. Show your sofa and chairs the same courtesy with this 3-part strategy

MOST POPULAR Overnight Guests Coming? How to Be a Great Host

By Laura Gaskill

Ensure a good time for all — including yourself — by following these steps for preparing for and hosting houseguests

MOST POPULAR 6 Kitchen Flooring Materials to Boost Your Cooking Comfort

By Jennifer Ott Design

Give your joints a break while you're standing at the stove, with these resilient and beautiful materials for kitchen floors

FEEL-GOOD HOME 12 Very Useful Things I've Learned From Designers

By Becky Harris

These simple ideas can make life at home more efficient and enjoyable

LIFE 8 Ways to Tailor Your Home for You, Not Resale

By Laura Gaskill

Planning to stay put for a few years? Forget resale value and design your home for the way you live

KITCHEN PANTRIES 15 Smart Ideas From Beautifully Organized Pantries

By Laura Gaskill

See cabinetry and lighting setups that can help keep your food and supplies in good order

KITCHEN ISLANDS What to Consider With an Extra-Long Kitchen Island

By Eric Reinholdt, Architect

More prep, seating and storage space? Check. But you’ll need to factor in traffic flow, seams and more when designing a long island

MOST POPULAR How Much Room Do You Need for a Kitchen Island?

By LWK London Kitchens

Installing an island can enhance your kitchen in many ways, and with good planning, even smaller kitchens can benefit

Sponsored

More Discussions

What color grout to choose?

6

Basement vinyl floor recommendations?

2

New flooring for laundry room - mix or match.

6

stair nose installed on top of floor planks

1

concrete floor coating recommendations

3