Oil Vs. Water Based Finishes on Hardwood Floors
The biggest considerations in choosing between oil- and water-based finishes for your hardwood floors are final appearance, drying time, durability and cost. Does this Spark an idea?
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Appearance
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The biggest difference between oil- and water-based products is in final appearance of the floor. The wood will look more natural with a water-based finish, and shinier with a slightly amber tint if you use an oil-based finish.
Drying Time
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Oil-based finishes take much longer to dry, about eight to 12 hours. If you are applying multiple coats, your job can take four days. Water-based acrylic products can dry in as little as one hour. You can shorten your job by at least half the time.
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Durability
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You must apply about four coats with water-based finishes as opposed to two or three with oil-based products, and you might also need to apply more coats every other year.
Protection
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The types of finishes offer about the same level of protection for your floor.
Expense
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Water-based finishes can cost two or more times as much. Cost is about $40 a gallon as of October 2009, and that will cover about 600 square feet. An oil-based product runs about $25 and will cover 400 square feet.
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