What is a good brand of clear stain for hardwood floors?

[Tommy2000GT]

It's for red oak and I'm looking for a clear stain.

The big box stores have Minwax but I heard it's terrible.

 

[highland145]

Bona, water based sealer.

 

[FeuerFrei]

Varathane
No personal experience.

 

[herm0016]

bona is what most people use.

clear stain?

bona comes in a clear finish. this goes over a floor that has been stained to change its color. stain changes the color, finish will go over it and is usually clear.

nothing wrong with minwax products. I really like their oil based helmsman varnish and their stain pre-treat product works well. you do want to use a product that is made for flooring though.

are you patching a section?

 

[RearAdmiral]

I used Bona in Satin finish for refinishing my stairs, worked out perfectly.

 

[NutBucket]

Varathane
No personal experience.

Agreed. That's what I used. I think we did 6 coats for my parents' house. My contractor used 3 coats of it but oil based. I would go with oil based if it's readily available in your area. We have to go to the next county to buy it....damn tree huggers.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I don't have much experience and my info is a little dated. My Father always used minwax at their previous house and the floors stayed fabulous for about 35 years. He never had them refinished just waxed and sealed. When they sold the house the floors looked nearly new from my memory of 1978. Only one room had carpeting but that was the pinewood floor which got pretty banged up but its pine and its supposed to.

 

[highland145]

Agreed. That's what I used. I think we did 6 coats for my parents' house. My contractor used 3 coats of it but oil based. I would go with oil based if it's readily available in your area. We have to go to the next county to buy it....damn tree huggers.

The smell of oil hangs around too long for me and the dry time sucks. My floor guy said the water based dries harder but you'll have to do your own research on that. I had him back on 3 separate jobs as we remodeled. 4 hrs after the final coat, you can walk on it with socks on. IIRC, 24hrs before we could put the furniture back though.

If you haven't put the floor down yet, you can buy pre-finished 3/4 tongue and groove oak.

 

[NutBucket]

I guess everyone has a different opinion. We had the floors done before we moved in so drying time was a non-issue.

 

[Tommy2000GT]

bona is what most people use.

clear stain?

bona comes in a clear finish. this goes over a floor that has been stained to change its color. stain changes the color, finish will go over it and is usually clear.

nothing wrong with minwax products. I really like their oil based helmsman varnish and their stain pre-treat product works well. you do want to use a product that is made for flooring though.

are you patching a section?

It's for brand new flooring. Yes I meant a clear finish to protect the wood. I don't want to stain it because I would like to keep the natural color of the wood.

I look at the Bona website and I like the Bona Mega Clear HD. Do have any opinions on it?

 

[NutBucket]

Varnish is tough and proven. I love new tech but floors are a pain to fix so I go with old and proven.

 

[Tommy2000GT]

I got 2 choices from the flooring subcontractor.

For oil based: Dura Seal Polyurethane

For water based: Pall-X 96

Or I can get my own.

 

[UnklSnappy]

Out of those two choices I'd go with the polyurethane. Waterbase is always my last choice.
My #1 finish of choice is Glitsa. Which is an acid cured varnish sealer and a precatalyzed lacquer top coat.
<<<30+ years hardwood flooring exp.

95% of the jobs we do are with Glitsa
4% poly
1% waterbase