I am currently in the process of putting new oak stairs in my wife's condo (that she owned before we met and which we now rent) and wanted to see what you guys recommend for a sealer. We are using a Minwax stain (2 applications to get the right color) and then want to seal the stairs well but not have them be slippery. As a rental they are going to see hard use so I want to be able to get multiple coats on.
Application time is a minor issue as I don't really want to have to wait a day or so between applications as the condo is a 1 hr trip (one way).
Things I have considered:
Boat varnish: Strong but can discolor over time
Water based polyurethane: Needs multiple coats with sanding and prep in between and longer drying times.
Lacquer: Fast drying/application but high VOC so gotta wear my good breather
Any input either way on these options? We still have to finish the laminate install downstairs before we can clean up and even think about applying any of these options.
watching with interest.....this info may be useful in the future WRT a wooden dash in a convertible.
Hal
Dork
7/24/13 8:22 p.m.
Whatever they use for gym floors and bowling alleys. They refinished the gym floor where I taught once every 5-6 years and it took a lot of punishment.
SVreX
MegaDork
7/24/13 9:11 p.m.
Gym Coat.
Gym Coat
Probably pricey, but good stuff.
Truthfully, polyurethane will do just fine. It is a low priced durable finish.
Unless you are renting the condo to a convention of stampeding mountain goats, it's still a residence, and will be subjected to typical residential usage. Poly will work fine.
Paul, any preference between polyurethane and lacquer?
SVreX
MegaDork
7/25/13 8:43 p.m.
Oil based Poly is the most durable finish you can apply by hand. It is a good quality, easy to apply finish that requires no experience. Good, simple choice.
Lacquer is a furniture finish. It does not have the durability needed for a floor and is not user friendly, unless you are experienced with lacquer and have an HVLP sprayer.
My choice would be a VOC water bourne urethane. It is thin, and will need several coats, but it drys quickly. You could do 4 coats in a day.
I wouldn't use lacquer.
SVreX wrote:
Oil based Poly is the most durable finish you can apply by hand. It is a good quality, easy to apply finish that requires no experience. Good, simple choice.
Lacquer is a furniture finish. It does not have the durability needed for a floor and is not user friendly, unless you are experienced with lacquer and have an HVLP sprayer.
My choice would be a VOC water bourne urethane. It is thin, and will need several coats, but it drys quickly. You could do 4 coats in a day.
I wouldn't use lacquer.
Perfect, thank you. I had originally planned to use the water based polyurethane but just wanted to be sure there wasn't a better choice. While the oil base is more durable the time required in between coats is a detriment for my situation.
I like Waterlox products for
Stuff like this
