Reasonable quote? Water or oil based finish?
We’re looking to have our floors sanded or buffed and refinished. Any experiences with oil vs. water based polyurethane sealant? Any pros/cons? Is one truly better than the other? Also, we’ve received a quote for $1600 to do 750 square feet of pine floors. The guy comes highly recommended by good friends whose floors are…
We’re looking to have our floors sanded or buffed and refinished. Any experiences with oil vs. water based polyurethane sealant? Any pros/cons? Is one truly better than the other?
Also, we’ve received a quote for $1600 to do 750 square feet of pine floors. The guy comes highly recommended by good friends whose floors are lovely. Reasonable? We’re first-timers, so be gentle and thanks for the advice.
I would also like info on Sean O’Sullivan. broeliza at gmail
Thanks
I used Inti Interior Design and Floors. Talk to Carlos, his cell number is 646-281-2659. They do excellent work are reasonable with their pricing.
-Allan
Oil-modified urethane will yellow over time. Some people prefer this look as it gives a bit of “age” to the wood. My main objection to oil urethane is that it seals the wood like plastic (which is good in high traffic applications).
Given both options, I prefer a good water-based urethane on trim but oils on floors. Oil is much more durable. I’ve had bad experience using water-based urethanes on floors. I’d never do it again.
Given all options, I’d go with Waterlox. It offers much of the protection of an oil with the repairability of a shellac and it doesn’t leave a thick, yellowing finish. Downside: it’s still solvent-based so it smells like an oil and it has the drying time of an oil. But it’s also very DIY.
Jab287,
Please give me more info on Sean O’Sullivan and Old Oak Flooring by emailing me at Brooklynista at yahoo. Thanks!
Thanks so much, folks. We don’t have kids or dogs, so we’re figuring water based would suit our needs, plus we have very limited time to get it all done. We’d heard about the smell but didn’t know about “ambering”, which is definitely not something we want, as the floors are already fairly dark as it is. Plus we have cherry cabinets and an exposed brick wall, so an orange-y hue sounds a little frightening.
We are using Ken with Pro Painting and Floor Scraping. Anyone have experience with his work?
Florence – who are you using to do your floors?
Water is best to prevent ambering. Oil-based sealers are generally known to give freshly-sanded wood an often not so favorable orange-hue. I have experienced this first hand. Some will say it’s a matter of preference. I personally like and wanted the wood to stay as close to it newly sanded complexion and was disappointed with the oil-based result.
As I understand it oil is a more durable finish. That said, the smell is really bad so plan to clear out of your house for a few days after the fact to let it clear out.
for a comp call Sean O’Sullivan at Old Oak Flooring. Sean only does floors and is a craftsman. He did 2 floors in my house, new wood and sanded old wood. My broker recommended him to me. Good work, honest and reasonable prices. 646-662-5724. I was most impressed with the clean up – almost zero sawdust.
I plan on using him to finish the last 2 floors. If you want more info, leave email and I will contact you.