I am sanding my hardwood floors- what is the best finish? Stain? Polyurethane? Wax?

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I’ve always though that poly was the best to protect them but recently I’ve heard that wax is the best option- any suggestion? If I stain I would assume I still have to cover them with some sort of protectant?

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  1. thewrangler_sw says:
    July 11, 2009 at 10:29 am

    Stain only adds color to the wood. Take some scrap pieces to use as ‘samples’ for different colors. It’s a good idea to apply the chosen ‘topcoat’ to the stain too, to see if it makes any difference in the color as a finished product. Apply your chosen top coat to a bare piece of wood too… you just might like the color, and decide not to stain. (I realize you’re sanding down an existing floor – so go out and buy a couple of boards of the same species, and as close to the color of your wood as you can get, to make color samples with. It’d be heartbreaking to get completely finished with all the work, only to find it didnt turn out ‘just’ like you wanted it too, heheh)

    Polyurethane creates a nice hard finish, which is an excellent choice for flooring. Ive used both, as a professional, along with some other finishing choices, like lacquer, varnish, etc. These are all known as ‘soft’ finishes, and work great for projects that are going on a wall, not the floor. Wax is a ‘traditional’ wood finish, and that was the first choice, before polyurethane was created. Wax requires more ‘maintenance’ than polyurethanes. You have to spend more time cleaning it, occasionally stripping it off, and refinishing it. Wax is often used in commercial settings on vinyl tiles, because they are regularly cleaned and maintained anyway, with heavy equipment.
    So, the bottom line, is how much work do you want to put into regular maintenance on your floor. If you want to damp mop it only every so often, go with the polyurethane.
    The one drawback with polyurethane is that when it gets scratched, it takes more work to remove the scratch, than wax does… but again, you’re not going to have to spend as much time maintaining it, on a regular basis.

    Have Fun

  2. Luisa M says:
    July 11, 2009 at 10:29 am

    i will use poly

  3. Andrea J says:
    July 11, 2009 at 10:29 am

    If you like the color of your floors after sanding, then just coat with polyurethane. If you stain them, you still need to to use polyurethane. Wax will wear off and won’t protect the floors from scratches.

  4. mrcapitan35 says:
    July 11, 2009 at 10:29 am

    Usually you wax after you have ‘cleaned’ the floors to bring back the shine and protect it. Usually after you sand it is best to seal the floors with polyurethane. If you want to change colors then stain first. 2 coats of poly are better but it really has to be super dust free. If you want to do it properly then after you sand you would get a tub of floor filler and dump a large pile on the floor and spread it around with a large cement trowel. Once it dries you sand it with the machine again using an old (used) sanding pad. Vacuum the snot out of everything to control dust and put down poly. You can get a special mop for this that will get it down quicker. Good Luck. Messy job but the results are amazing.

  5. J.Bissell says:
    July 11, 2009 at 10:29 am

    Stain it if you would like a different color, but don’t leave just stain exposed. As a final finish I would use Polyurethane, it is one of the toughest finishes for wood floors. Wax will wear off and will allow the wood to scratch much easier.

  6. chevretteg says:
    July 11, 2009 at 10:29 am

    You have to stain if you want color.Then place an oil base poly on top. The more coats you apply, the deeper the shine will be.I woudn,t do less than two coats.If your going to leave it natural color,you must first apply a coat of sanding sealer, then apply two or more coats of poly.

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