We are putting down 40 year old salvaged maple floor. It will get lots of use and needs to be water resistent. The last time I did a pine floor we used water based super poly with watco underneath. Finish didn’t last worth squat. Any suggestions?
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story

The crew discusses finding rot when remodeling, challenges installing custom shower panels, and how to prevent subs and suppliers from sabotaging builds.
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
I like Glitsa. It has to be professionally applied and you must leave the house because of the fumes. That said, I used it on my last house and plan to use it again. I thought it looked really nice, and it was tough as nails. My big dog couldn't put a scratch in it.
I have used acrylic urethanes on many floors over the years with good success . But beware of the type of stain used first , as the adhesion gremlins may appear if a solvent based stain is used.
Later Dave
I use only Bona products. 1 coat Bona Seale followed with 3 coats Mega semi gloss. Builds high, no odor and recoatable within a few hours. Let the 3rd coat dry overnight and buff with a light screen or maroon pads. Slight grain raise with oaks but almost none with maple.
Waterlox.
http://www.waterlox.com
Mike
How water resistant? I used Penofin's intrerior penetrating oil on new and 60-year-old sanded oak floors in our remodel. Nice sheen to the finish. Can be renewed easily (if that ever becomes necessary). Our floors, including kitchen still look great after 5 years-- no touch-ups needed.
http://www.penofin.com/interiortip.htm
Watco is oil. A water-based finish should
not be put on top of it. That is why your other
job wasn't satisfactory. Watco should be used
by itself. Oil finishes are not the best for maple. Not
absorbent enough to let the finish soak in.
You'll probably get a lot of good advice about
what brands to use. I like Sikkens. Made by
Nobel. The same folks who invented dynamite.
Many good brands. Proper application is critical.
Follow the instructions exactly.
thank you all so much for the advice and names to look into...
On another question there was some slamming of Home Depot. Shall I say that I was told by the guy at Home Depot to put on watco first and then use water based polyurethane? What really ticks me off is that I ASKED about whether oil and water would be a problem and was assured by a guy who said he had years of experience, that it would not be a problem at all.
Its actually not a problem if the Watco is really
100% cured. Unfortunately, that takes a long while.
I'd give it a good couple weeks for the first coat,
then a couple days per coat. If it has any smell at all,
its not cured. The first coat soaks in where oxygen has
a hard time penetrating. It cures by oxidation and
releases some heat in the process. The outside cures
first because it has the easiest contact with air. Then
the inside cures very slowly because the cured outside layer
now blocks oxygen from getting to the inside. This is also
why varnish wrinkles if applied too thick. Paint and varnish
chemistry is very complicated stuff.
Its best to stay with
a system. Pick the brand. Buy what the manufacturer
recommends for stain, sealer and topcoat. They have tested
it to work together. Most brands are competitive and price
is a definite indication of quality. Buy the cheapest and it
will almost certainly be cheap stuff. The most expensive is
not always the best, but almost always among the top few.
Follow the directions. They're there for a reason. Some
finishes are so complex or toxic that they're best left to
the professionals. You won't save anything trying to do
those yourself. Make sure you buy it from a dealer that has
fresh stock. If its been on the shelf a year, I wouldn't
use it at all.
Home Depot is only good if you know exactly what you need.
I find it best not to ask them for advice. You'll get at
most half the answer.