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View Full Version : Oil Floor Finishes: Expensive vs. Inexpensive?



Thomas Penrose
12-25-2005, 10:17 PM
I am planning to use an oil floor finish on about 1,000 sq ft of white oak and was looking at different products at Home Depot. They had Varathane oil floor finish at around $37 a gallon, and they had Parks oil floor finish for around $17 a gallon. I had heard somewhere that the faster a flooring product dries, the more expensive it is, based on the cobalt dryers and other additives (I have no idea if this is true).
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If the fastest dry time is not all that important to me, does anyone know if they are big differences between oil polyurethanes in terms of durability, scratch resistance, etc? I will gladly pay more than twice the price for the most durable product, but am wondering if I stand to benefit all that much by using Varathane vs. the Parks (note: I am using oil finish for the warmer amber color, although I understand some waterbourne products may be more durable).

lou sansone
12-26-2005, 7:44 AM
the solids content tends to be the biggest factor in price. more solids more cost
lou

Mark Singer
12-26-2005, 8:40 AM
Years ago I would use Duraseal and the Dura Wax on floors. Recently I used Waterlox, which is also an oil finish on Jatoba. After about six months I changed it to apoly urethane...which is much easier to care for

Bob Marino
12-26-2005, 9:10 AM
Years ago I would use Duraseal and the Dura Wax on floors. Recently I used Waterlox, which is also an oil finish on Jatoba. After about six months I changed it to apoly urethane...which is much easier to care for

Mark,

Whick poly did you end up using?

Bob

Mark Singer
12-26-2005, 9:26 AM
Bob,
I am pretty sure it was Moisture Cure...I used to use Glitza but it is pretty potent and we were living in the home...

Thomas Penrose
12-26-2005, 10:28 AM
Thanks. The Parks stuff said it had 50% solids, but I don't know what Varathane has. I will probably just go with the Varathane. I have friends who had floors refinished with Glitsa, and it does seem like a very hard, tough finish, but its formaldehyde content and being hard for non-professionals like me to obtain will probably mean I use something more readily available.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
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