Can someone comment on the pros & cons of various hardwood floor finishes? Water based polyurethanes, oil based finishes, etc. Any specific recommendations? What about prefinished flooring?
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Pre-Finished hardwood flooring or instant hardwood has come along way in the last few years, the grooves between the strips of flooring have become alot smaller. Considering a finished floor can be installed with the same speed as an unfinished floor it is my number one choise flooring for a renovation.
An unfinished site installed hardwood floor is still the superior product (if you don't mind the dust from sanding and the time it takes to finish it properly).After sanding and finishing there are no grooves to collect spills, dirt, etc. There has been some debate on types of finish. The only difference IMO is smell and color.
Water bourne finishes are very hard but go on thin. There is almost no odor and the finish does not change the color of the wood or yellow with age. It takes several coats to achieve a durable finish. Coats dry very quickly and this may be a problem for the inexperienced.
Fast drying oil based polys need only two decent coats to achieve a durable finish. They tend to add a orange or yellow tint to the wood which gets deeper with age. Lots of odor for a couple of days. Still a good finish.
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