Question
Which water based finish would you most highly recommend for refinishing oak floors (quality, safety, low/no voc)?
I wrote earlier about my job which started as oil based, and my thinking now is to re-strip and move to water based. I have (a little late!) learned of the problems with oil based. I want to use a finish I can trust as very safe and high quality. It doesn't have to be the cadillac of finishes, but if it costs more to get this right, so be it. Maybe there's one out there that is not a bad value, and very green? My floor refinisher says he typically uses Bona Mega; please advise if that's an excellent choice, or not. Thank you kindly, Bill
Answer
Dear Bill,
As a designer and general contractor, I oversee the installation of a lot of hardwood floors in my line of work.
My installer of choice uses Berger-Siedle (only sold to the trade) and our clients are very happy. They have three different options with the lowest VOC options being their penetrating hard wax oil. It is a gorgeous finish but it does take more maintenance than the more traditional one or two component water borne finishes.
- The nice thing about the hard wax oil is you can do spot repairs by sanding the area, such as in front of the kitchen sink that gets a lot of wear, with some 000 steel wool and rewaxing.
- However, you will see wear sooner than with urethane finishes.
The Bona Mega is a good option as are the other finishes featured in the GreenHomeGuide Q&As listed below such as AMF and Osmo.
- What are the best low-maintenance, durable stains and urethane finishes for wood floors?
- Can you please recommend a floor finish that is nontoxic and will not emit an odor the day after it is applied?
- What's more sustainable: a longer-lasting floor finish, or one with lower VOC content?
- What’s a safe product for staining and sealing the floors of my 84-year-old historic home?
- What is truly the healthiest wood floor option, and what are the safest finish products to use?
Good luck!
