If you suffer from environmental sensitivities or don't like the toxicity of oil
based or polyurethane based hardwood finishes then you can opt for water based
one. There are plenty of reasons to prefer a water based finish over oil based
one. Some areas of the world have even banned oil based floor finishes because
of their off gassing, odors and health issues.
The raison d'etre of any
hardwood floor finish should be to enhance the beauty of the wood and seal it.
All polyurethane, whether oil or water-based create a film over the floor that
protects it. Contrary to popular belief, polyurethane does not penetrate into
the wood. Instead it is builds up on the surface. After all polyurethane is not
like water - it is a plastic.
However oil based hardwood floor finishes
have a more familiar, old fashioned look to them than the newer water based
hardwood floor finishes. It smoothes out the grain of the wood and develops into
an attractive amber-brown color over the passage of time. However once a floor
is varnished with an oil based finish it can take weeks or even months for the
odor of the varnish to totally dissipate which is not good for you, your
children or your pets.
The fact that water based finishes emit less fumes
is the reason that more and more people are turning to moisture borne and water
based finished. Another reason is that an oil finished floor can take at least
three days to dry and you may have to wait as long as a week before you can
replace your furniture in the treated room. With a water based polyurethane
finish, the varnish is dry within one or two days after applying the final coat
and the fumes are usually gone in a day or two. Another perk of using water
based polyurethane floor finishes is that it dries after only one hour. You can
walk on it and put your furniture back in the room immediately without damaging
the surface of the floor. Studies have also shown that water based hardwood
floor finish is tougher, more durable and lasts longer than oil based hardwood
finishes.
However as quick drying and odorless as water based
polyurethane finishes are there are some drawbacks to using them. First of all
water based hardwood floor finishes do not age the floor in the same attractive
way that oil based finishes do. Your floor will remain its original color for
years to come. If you don't want your floor to look like a gymnasium floor then
make sure you choose an exotic wood that you like the look of and can live with
in the first place!
Second of all rather than giving the wood that smooth
polished look that an oil based hardwood finish does, the water based version
causes the grain to lift a bit from the wood. This gives the floor a bit of a
rough feeling. If this does happen after you apply water based polyurethane
finish the situation is not hopeless. There are some types of sealants that
contain alcohol that you can buy and apply over the water based finish to
restore the floor's smoothness.
