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.

Replied to in alt.home.repair

dadiOH

JayB wrote:
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.

Thanks. I did forget to mention when I posted this here that I had already
posted the same message in the alt.home.repair newsgroup.

I usually don't like to post the same question in two different groups, but
someone in the alt.home.repair group suggested that I check out this group
and maybe post my questions here.

My latest frustration is that I just went to 3 stores (Home Depot, Lowes,
and Ace Hardware) looking for clear MinWax Water-based Polyurethane Base
Coat and clear MinWax Water-based Polyurethane for the top coat -- and none
of the 3 stores had either one.

"dadiOH" wrote in message
...
Replied to in alt.home.repair

dadiOH

JayB wrote:
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 just checked and the exact names for the products I am trying to find a
1) Minwax® Water Based Polyurethane for Floors Professional Formula; and, 2)
Minwax® Water Based Polyurethane for Floors Base Coat.

"JayB" wrote in message
...
Thanks. I did forget to mention when I posted this here that I had
already posted the same message in the alt.home.repair newsgroup.

I usually don't like to post the same question in two different groups,
but someone in the alt.home.repair group suggested that I check out this
group and maybe post my questions here.

My latest frustration is that I just went to 3 stores (Home Depot, Lowes,
and Ace Hardware) looking for clear MinWax Water-based Polyurethane Base
Coat and clear MinWax Water-based Polyurethane for the top coat -- and
none of the 3 stores had either one.

"dadiOH" wrote in message
...
Replied to in alt.home.repair

dadiOH

JayB wrote:
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'm a furniture guy not a floor guy but I can tell you that for
natural color on Red Oak you should add some stain. Some woods darken
but red oak will fade to white. Just use Minwax Natural. It looks like
nothing but the color change you get from wet or a clear finish but it
will stay that color. Raw oak will fade. If you put on a truly non-
yellowing finish you likely won't be happy if you have much sun
hitting the floor.


On Nov 6, 11:17*am, "JayB" wrote:
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.

Thanks. I have been testing some stains to see how they look. I bought 6
different ones and tried them on a test section made up of left over wood
pieces this morning.

From memory, I think the 6 colors that I tested a

Golden Oak
Natural
Ipswich Pine
Colonial Maple
Sedona Red
Golden Pecan.

I think that Natural, Colonial Maple, and Golden Pecan were the 3 that I
remember looking the best. I'll check again tomorrow when I am at the
property where I did the test.


"SonomaProducts.com" wrote in message
...
I'm a furniture guy not a floor guy but I can tell you that for
natural color on Red Oak you should add some stain. Some woods darken
but red oak will fade to white. Just use Minwax Natural. It looks like
nothing but the color change you get from wet or a clear finish but it
will stay that color. Raw oak will fade. If you put on a truly non-
yellowing finish you likely won't be happy if you have much sun
hitting the floor.


On Nov 6, 11:17 am, "JayB" wrote:
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.

JayB wrote:
Thanks. I did forget to mention when I posted this here that I had
already posted the same message in the alt.home.repair newsgroup.

I usually don't like to post the same question in two different
groups, but someone in the alt.home.repair group suggested that I
check out this group and maybe post my questions here.

My latest frustration is that I just went to 3 stores (Home Depot,
Lowes, and Ace Hardware) looking for clear MinWax Water-based
Polyurethane Base Coat and clear MinWax Water-based Polyurethane for
the top coat -- and none of the 3 stores had either one.

Find a real paint store. And don't restrict yourself to Minwax--there are
many brands of decent floor finish. Most waterborne polyurethanes will dry
clear rather than yellowing. They will all change the appearance of the
wood a bit though compared to the unfinished appearance--spill a little
water on it and you'll see the same change.


"dadiOH" wrote in message
...
Replied to in alt.home.repair

dadiOH

JayB wrote:
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.

JayB wrote:
Thanks. I did forget to mention when I posted this here that I had
already posted the same message in the alt.home.repair newsgroup.

I usually don't like to post the same question in two different
groups, but someone in the alt.home.repair group suggested that I
check out this group and maybe post my questions here.

My latest frustration is that I just went to 3 stores (Home Depot,
Lowes, and Ace Hardware) looking for clear MinWax Water-based
Polyurethane Base Coat and clear MinWax Water-based Polyurethane for
the top coat -- and none of the 3 stores had either one.

Regarding the urethane, the Minwax site says, " This item can only be
special ordered at one of our retail locations in New England and Upstate
New York. "

FYI, it also says, " Imparts depth and warmth, enhancing natural wood
grain." Not what you want since you don't want warmth and grain
enhancement.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

On Nov 6, 4:37*pm, "SonomaProducts.com" wrote:
I'm a furniture guy not a floor guy but I can tell you that for
natural color on Red Oak you should add some stain. Some woods darken
but red oak will fade to white. Just use Minwax Natural. It looks like
nothing but the color change you get from wet or a clear finish but it
will stay that color. Raw oak will fade. If you put on a truly non-
yellowing finish you likely won't be happy if you have much sun
hitting the floor.

I respectfully disagree. I have an unstained red oak hardwood floor I
installed in 1990. It has not faded. It was finished with a waterbased
Swedish finish then and we had it sanded & refinished with a similar
product 2 years ago by the same guy who did the original finishing.


On Nov 6, 11:17*am, "JayB" wrote:

snip
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?

The answer your first two questions is yes, and no to the third,
depending on the product of course. I would suggest trying to buy a
professional product rather than a big box store stuff.

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.

I'm glad your experience has been good but Red Oak "can" fade in
sunlight. Here is one reference, at the bottom of the page under
disadvantages.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5382791_re...-flooring.html

On Nov 7, 7:41*am, Luigi Zanasi wrote:
On Nov 6, 4:37*pm, "SonomaProducts.com" wrote:

I'm a furniture guy not a floor guy but I can tell you that for
natural color on Red Oak you should add some stain. Some woods darken
but red oak will fade to white. Just use Minwax Natural. It looks like
nothing but the color change you get from wet or a clear finish but it
will stay that color. Raw oak will fade. If you put on a truly non-
yellowing finish you likely won't be happy if you have much sun
hitting the floor.

I respectfully disagree. I have an unstained red oak hardwood floor I
installed in 1990. It has not faded. It was finished with a waterbased
Swedish finish then and we had it sanded & refinished with a similar
product 2 years ago by the same guy who did the original finishing.



On Nov 6, 11:17*am, "JayB" wrote:

snip
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?

The answer your first two questions is yes, and no to the third,
depending on the product of course. I would suggest trying to buy a
professional product rather than a big box store stuff.



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.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

On Sat, 7 Nov 2009 14:58:38 -0800 (PST), "SonomaProducts.com"
wrote:

I'm glad your experience has been good but Red Oak "can" fade in
sunlight. Here is one reference, at the bottom of the page under
disadvantages.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5382791_re...-flooring.html


Not disbelieving here, but I have a sunny staircase made of red oak.
After 18 years it doesn't appear to have changed color at all and if
it has it is not disagreeable. My cupboards are red oak too.
Certainly cheaper than cherry. For a floor I'd prefer the harder
quarter-sawn white oak, much better at water resistance too.

Varathane is an excellent clear finish for floors--the ad says "Tough
enough to skate on."

Could be perception. Could be UV protection in the film finish. Could
be yellowing of finish offsets fading of wood. etc. etc.

On Nov 8, 3:50*pm, Phisherman wrote:
On Sat, 7 Nov 2009 14:58:38 -0800 (PST), "SonomaProducts.com"

wrote:
I'm glad your experience has been good but Red Oak "can" fade in
sunlight. Here is one reference, at the bottom of the page under
disadvantages.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5382791_re...-flooring.html

Not disbelieving here, but I have a sunny staircase made of red oak.
After 18 years it doesn't appear to have changed color at all and if
it has it is not disagreeable. *My cupboards are red oak too.
Certainly cheaper than cherry. *For a floor I'd prefer the harder
quarter-sawn white oak, much better at water resistance too.

Varathane is an excellent clear finish for floors--the ad says "Tough
enough to skate on."