"JayB" wrote in message
...
I now have a new unfinished red oak hardwood floor installed in an
apartment that I will be renting out.

What I want is a truly *CLEAR* finish to put down on the new unfinished
flooring.

I have extra flooring that I have set up so I can test various finishes.
I have already tested a number of stains and, if I have to, I will go with
one of those. But, what I really want is to be able to put a completely
clear finish over the new unfinished hardwood flooring. I like the way it
looks now and I would like to be able to keep that look and coloration.
All of the so-called "clear" polyurethane finishes I have tried so far are
not really clear. They are amber color, and they also stain and darken
the wood grain.

Here are my two questions:

1) I am interested in clear Moisture Cure Urethane (one brand is made by
Garco) -- but I can't find anywhere to buy it. It is supposed to be truly
clear. I know it is super volatile and maybe that's why it is not easily
available. I can apparently buy it online, but then I have to wait 4 to
14 days for it to arrive. Does anyone know where I can go in person and
buy this stuff? I am in New Jersey near Philadelphia, PA.

2) I haven't tested out water-based polyurethane products yet. I get the
impression that they can be more clear than oil-based polyurethane.
MinWax sells a clear water-based base coat and a clear water-based
polyurethane that goes over the base coat. The clear base coat is
supposed to seal the tannins (or something like that) in the wood so it
doesn't darken, and then hopefully the top coat won't darken the wood when
it is applied.

Are water-based polyurethane finishes okay for hardwood floors? Are they
durable enough compared to oil-based polyurethanes? Are there any special
cleaning requirements or instructions for water-based finishes that are
different than for oil-based polyurethane finishes?

Can I later cover a water-based polyurethane finish with an oil-based
polyurethane finish? I think the answer to that one is "no", but I
thought I would ask anyway.

water based are more clear than oil based, and have a slightly blue tint
rather than yellow. they do use water based for floors, but you may have to
recoat more often as they may not be as hard.

ask the rest of your questions on rec.woodworking.