P.S. From what I've read, shellac wouldn't be hard enough; it would be
a big
surprise to me to find out it has fared well in a high wear area.


DAGS on shellac, floor, repair. Shellac was used for years and years
on floors. True, it's not as hard as poly, but it is much easier to fix
any scratches. Both will scratch -- the difference is that you can fix
shellac.