Thank you! We used Duraseal. I wasn't informed on what sheen my builder used. It's holding up well and we really enjoy the color. We get a lot of compliments on it. It's not too dark and not too light. A great medium. If it's too dark, you will see all the dirt! Good luck!

The high-end water based polyurethanes are now as tough or tougher than the old fashioned oil based. Things like Bona (2 part) and Loba (2K Supra AT) have some of the highest abrasion tests outside of the factory finish with Aluminum Oxide additives. If you love the raw wood look, you will need to work with a water based finish. The 'honey oak' look isn't from a stain...it is from the oil based finishes. And it isn't ambering "over time" it is 'the next day'. I LOVE the Loba 2K Supra AT (advanced technology with ceramic microbeads embedded into the finish). It is STUNNING. It also has the best 'grip' of any finish on the market. The slip resistance is very, very good. The COST of this product can be $180/gallon. Compare that to the $80/gallon of DuraSeal or $40 for Minwax (booooooooo hisssss boooo). As you can see, the costs are very different...but you absolutely get what you pay for. If you like orange, then go for the oil based. If you want super pale 'natural wood' look, you must work with water based. If you work with water based, you might as well go with the best of the best. That way you will never feel like you got a second rate finish.

Beth H. : - thanks so much for sharing those last two images. I'm working on a staircase in an addition to our old house and I've been using Houzz images to help the staircase maker understand what I'm seeking and hadn't seen those. And I agree, Houzz has chronic "control issues" when it comes to sharing images easily from other sites. I really think the owners have ambitions to take over from Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, let alone all the also-rans, ugh. It's a sharing world, Houzz - get with the program! Anyway, about those images you've shared; are they from Houzz? I tried clicking on them to see if they'd open a post, to no avail. Thanks!

Looks Beautiful ! What paint color did you choose. I need to choose a color for family room and kitchen ASAP. I hope the Mega finish holds up well compared to Traffic… wonder if I should have upgraded.