Oil Or Water Polyurethane

Since these solids create the protective finish you need to.

Oil or water polyurethane. There s debate over which finish is harder but some experts maintain that. Water based polyurethane can be recoated in 4 6 hours. High quality water based polyurethanes is considered by many homeowners flooring professionals to be equally durable. The main difference is usually color.

Oil based contain 45 50 solids you will need to add more coats of water based poly. Let s cover a few basics before discussing which is best for specific wood types. Water based polyurethanes are completely clear and again if well engineered will not yellow over time. However if you are using a top notch brand such as bona traffic hd this is not true in this case they are equally as durable.

A 5 gallon bucket of oil base polyurethane costs us around 150 00 to purchase whereas the same amount of water based poly costs us about 350 00. Oil vs water based polyurethane in general most flooring professionals will tell you that oil based polyurethane is more durable than water borne poly. This is ideal if you want the natural color of your wood to remain constant. Water based poly is a more expensive product.

How water based and oil based polyurethane are different. Oil based polyurethane has a more distinct odor and takes a longer time to dry than water based ones. Finally water based poly dries a lot faster giving dust less time to settle out of the air into your finish. However it has been discovered in recent years that water based polyurethane works just as well.

Oil based used to be unquestionably more durable. Water based polyurethane will give off little if any odor compared to oil based poly a real issue if your finish room happens to be in your basement. Most water based polys contain only 30 to 35 percent solids compared with the 45 to 50 percent solids in oil based products. Expect to pay 50 1 00 sf more for a water based polyurethane finish.

Water based finishes dry fastâ most within two hoursâ so you can apply. Polyurethane paints and varnishes used to only be oil based. Oil based poly can last around 10 years. Wait after the last coat will put a bedroom out of commission for a few daysâ and you ll.

Water based poly tends to cost more than oil based poly. Today though water based polyurethane has evolved with better formulations that are equally durable as oil based polyurethane. That is because most water borne polyurethanes are inferior. A well engineered water based polyurethane will be equal in clarity to oil based polyurethane.

Up to 4 coats can be applied in a day. Because water based polyurethanes only contain 30 35 solids vs. It basically has two kinds.