Floor finish: Bona Mega vs Floorpoly formulations?

[Ken Platt]

Folks , - I am about to refinish a room of oak flooring (I'm pretty sure it's red oak) with water base poly (I'm sensitive to fumes, so oil base is out). I've used varathane in the past, but thought this go-round I'd try one of the Bona products. Mega has been highly touted here, but I'm wondering what if any is the difference between the Bona Mega and the Bona FloorPolyHD which is now being carried at Home Depot. They seem to be around the same price, although I guess I'll have to order the Mega online or take a drive to a distributor (none real close).

Also, how much added toughness does that "Mega Booster" stuff add? We have 3 dogs. I know the Traffic formulation is also well thought of, but I didn't want to get into the 2-part route.

Thanks -

Ken

[Sparky Paessler]

Ken

I refinished my floors about 4 years ago with Bona Traffic Waterborne Hardwood Floor Finish which is their 2 part finish. I have dogs and cats and I have been amazed at how well it has held up. You might want to consider it. A little more expensive but I think it was worth it.

[Jason Roehl]

I'm with Sparky. Mega probably won't hold up that well to your dogs, especially if you don't keep their nails neatly trimmed and rounded, and they're rambunctious in the house. Finish is the cheapest part of refinishing a hardwood floor, so a few bucks more for better finish is money well spent, IMHO.

[Joe Angrisani]

Another +1 for the two-part Bona Traffic. Dries to a perfect finish WICKED fast. We have the satin finish, which really helps hide the claw marks. You can only see them if the light hits them right, or when things are damp immediately after a swipe with the Bona cleaner widget. But make no mistake, a Golden Retriever-sized dog will leave marks on any finish. If you're looking for something that dogs can't mark, you're chasing the Grail.

[Mark Bolton]

We use traffic hd on a lot of jobs, well worth it. Just make sure you follow the recoat window instructions. You can often finish job in a single long day if the weather is right.

[Ken Platt]

Thanks folks. I don't mind shelling out for the Traffic formulation, but since it was a 2-part I was assuming that whatever I didn't use right away would be waste, and for a small room, I figured that wouldn't work out well. Could I ask for some details on how the 2-part business works out? Do you use a separate bucket for mixing, or does it come setup to do the mixing? How hard is it to mix well? And, how long does the mix last vs drying time? The room is only about 250 sq ft, so if a gallon covers 500 and each gallon isn't usable for the next coat, that's a lot of wastage.

Is Traffic as easy to apply as Mega? One of the things selling me on Mega was the testimonials here about how easy it went on. One post said that he thought you could just pour out a gallon and leave it alone and it would spread and level itself just fine.

I know nothing is dog-claw proof. We're pretty used to the marks, and, if I could pick one room to be worth trying to dog-proof, this wouldn't be it , as it's a bedroom in which much of the floor space will be covered by our bed and nightstands and so forth. So, for this one, easy would win over extra durability. When I redo our open dining/den area, it'll be all about keeping up the appearance.

Thanks -

Ken

[Ken Platt]

An update - regarding the question of comparing Mega with the Home Depot FloorPoly HD, I had also sent an email with that question to Bona customer service, and I got a one line reply stating that Mega was more durable.

Ken

[Peter Quinn]

I haven't used any Bona products, but I have used some 2K (2 component) water borne products from Europe at work, and they are a whole level of durability above the basic one component acrylics. Note that if you read the labels on most of the hardeners, that is some nasty stuff, just because its water born doesn't mean its good for you so take precautions. Remember, pure acetone is not considered a VOC either, so low VOC doesn't mean safe to breathe! And it definitely has a smell, just not the the nauseating solvent smell. An open window and a fan are probably still a good idea. With dogs I wouldn't even consider going the one component route even with a cross linker. You do lose anything in the pot that you don't use, but it has a pretty good shelf life unmixed if well sealed and kept in a cool place out of the light, like a basement closet or something.

One thing I've found with the 2K waterborne's is that its critical to use the systems sanding sealer as a base coat. Particularly on open grain woods like oak. We grain raise everything, sand lightly with 300G or synthetic steel wool, then seal, then top coat with the 2K product. If you skip the sanding sealer, perhaps due to the hardener in the 2K, it keeps cutting through and reraising the grain, can take as many as three coats to stop with a painful sanding each time. Its the darndest thing. The sealer has minimal grain raise, sands easily, and stops the 2K from further grain raise like night and day. It looks like Bona also has sanding sealers with toner, one amber and one lighter, that can give lots of species that handsome amber glow like an oil base minus the smell.

If you haven't used the WB products on a floor before, or the 2K products, I strongly suggest you make some test pieces, mix a small batch (we mix up just a few ounces for samples using a small graduated syringe we got from our finishing supplier). Heck, do a dozen or more test pieces until you results are consistent. That and a foam brush will help you climb the learning curve in an easier manner and avoid having to sand out any mistakes. It just doesn't go down as easily as the old oils, but it can produce a flawless finish. I've also seen a few nasty pebbly fuzzy messes put down by guys that probably assume thats what a WB finish should look like?