Water-based or oil-based polyurethane for floors?

[Manalto]

Excepting trompe l'oeil.

...or Dutch Master portraits.

That's art.

Whereas Formstone, marble Contac paper and vinyl "plank" floors are an assault to my (our?) sensibilities.

I could also do without the flimsy, fraudulent snap-in plastic "muntins."

[awomanwithahammer]

Surprisingly enough, I don't mind the vinyl "plank" flooring--if it's going into a basement.

Ah, yes, the Dutch masters. I was lucky enough to see several of them a couple of years ago when I was in Amsterdam, at the Rijksmuseum. I was blown away by the actual size of "The Night Watch." Rembrandt is one of my favorite artists, but I love Vermeer, too.

[phil]

my peeve has got to be "simulated brass"
I don't know much french so I had to look up trompe l'oeil wow some neat images came up.

[Manalto]

An architect friend of mine told me he had considered the Rubio but went instead with polymerized tung oil. He said that, out of multiple samples, they liked the PTO finish the best. The vagueness of his answer suggests to me that their decision was based on aesthetic, rather than performance preference. Although PTO is less expensive, I know them well enough to say that wasn't a factor in their decision. They're an active family of four with two dogs and after five years in the house the floors still look new. Here's a link to a manufacturer of the PTO, FYI:

http://www.sutherlandwelles.com/original.html

[phil]

there is a "maintenence oil" that rubio suggests. Its here:
https://www.rubiomonocoat.com/en/p/prod ... country=ca

with he Rubio, it suggests putting their stain down first, then the clear base overtop.
I'd be a bit skeptical about wear through of that topcoat. It sounds very thin.. then you'd wear through the color layer. It's a bit hard to predict how some of these new, low VOC finishes will perform, or if the companies will last for years to come but I guess one could also say the tried and true but higher VOC finishes might disappear for enviro reasons.

[GinaC]

Thank you so much for the floor lesson!

Is there a way to tell what the PO used on the floor? The seller of my house just had the downstairs refinished and I'd like to know what he had put on -- I sincerely doubt he knows, as it was his rental property.

My upstairs floors I think are too thin and too patched to refinish, and I really don't want to replace them, so I think I'm going to paint and stencil them. (Again, I know some of you are cringing. )

[awomanwithahammer]

I don't know how to tell what was used previously, but I don't think they've ever been refinished, and my house was built in 1941. You might be able to ask your seller for his refinisher's name and call them to find out what they use. I'm guessing it's just basic polyurethane. I think most of them have a go-to product and they use it on everything they do because that's what they know. I'm lucky that my guy is on board with using a new product.

Actually, I think Willa has painted her upstairs floors. She posted some pictures the other day of her upstairs landing and it looks really nice. The post might have been in "What I did at my house today."

The thing about this is that this is YOUR home and you get to do what you want to it. Yes, there are some here who might be more about museum pieces, but I think most folks understand that you have to live in your house. Go for it!

[Mick_VT]

there is a "maintenence oil" that rubio suggests. Its here:
https://www.rubiomonocoat.com/en/p/prod ... country=ca

with he Rubio, it suggests putting their stain down first, then the clear base overtop.
I'd be a bit skeptical about wear through of that topcoat. It sounds very thin.. then you'd wear through the color layer. It's a bit hard to predict how some of these new, low VOC finishes will perform, or if the companies will last for years to come but I guess one could also say the tried and true but higher VOC finishes might disappear for enviro reasons.

2 years of heavy traffic and no wear showing at all - they say you can rub more oil into a wear spots that do show up. I jave some of the maintenance oil, and have not felt the urge to actually use it,maybe in a year or two

[phil]

cool, I wonder what's in it?

[Gothichome]

Thank you so much for the floor lesson!

Is there a way to tell what the PO used on the floor? The seller of my house just had the downstairs refinished and I'd like to know what he had put on -- I sincerely doubt he knows, as it was his rental property.

My upstairs floors I think are too thin and too patched to refinish, and I really don't want to replace them, so I think I'm going to paint and stencil them. (Again, I know some of you are cringing. )

Gina, painted pine floors were perfectly acceptable in non public areas. The fancy floors were for showing off.