Oil Based Or Water Based Stain For Hardwood Floors

By using a clear water based finish there won t be any conflict between the stain color and finish color.

Oil based or water based stain for hardwood floors. If you want your floor to stay the same color choose water based polyurethane. For example some hardwood species may really thrive when coated with a rich oil finish whereas other species may be complimented by the natural clear and cool look that is derived from a water based hardwood floor finish. Again it truly comes down to whether or not you want the amber glow of an oil based. The bottom line is both materials have very similar overall durability but based on professional experience water based finishes overall are more durable than oil based.

Yes the oil based does smell strong but we would much prefer to get the best durability and so the tradeoff is worth it. Excellent information about oil vs water based polyurethane. Some people like the rich ambering that occurs with oil based polyurethane and feel that this type of polyurethane adds more richness and depth to. Floors that are finished with oil based polyurethane tend to amber turn an orangey yellow over time whereas floors finished with water based polyurethane are not expected to change color with age.

The kind of hardwood floor you have will also factor into what type of finish will work best for you. Woods with a hint of yellow in them already such as pine fir and ash become even yellower with an oil based finish. Minwax wood stains add color decorative style and beauty to wood. Wood that is gray white or light looks better with a clear coat i e a water based finish.

Price in general depends on the manufacturer but as a rule of thumb water based finish is a bit 10 to 20 cents per sq ft more expensive. We chose oil based for our hardwood floors which are being refinished right now. Great for hardwood floors and available in oil based or water based formulas.