Refinishing Our Wood Floors

Polyurethane comes in both water-based and oil-based formulations...so they may be talking about the same things just using different language.

An oil-based finish is generally going to be more durable and higher gloss finish. The odor is usually stronger and requires heavier chemicals for clean-up.

Water-based dry quickly, have lower odor, have more finish (satin, semi-, gloss) options. They are not generally considered as durable, but professional grade products do a great job.

I wouldn't mess with oil-based DIY...but would go for it with a professional if you want a higher shine finish.

P.S. I am jealous...I SO want to get my floors redone in my 1941 home.

If you havent heard of this man you are missing out....does fantastic work at very reasonable rates and I can attest to the quality of his work.
His name is Nam Phan...Nam's Hardwood Floor Service ###-###-#### or cell ###-###-#### ...he will tell you the best product for your needs....
Best wishes and I know you wont be sorry for consulting with him

I had the floor in the entry way and family room done recently. There were 3 coats involved, the first was a sealer, the next 2 were the polyurethane finish.

The polyurethane comes in both water and oil based. There are also different finishes like low gloss or high gloss. Oil based is very toxic and takes 2 days to dry. Water dries much quicker, and is much better for the environment. Since good quality water based products have only been around for about 5 years, it's hard to tell how long they will last. Oil has been know to last for 20 years.

We had our all of our floors redone in our 1886 house and we started with the oil based. I soon found out that the fumes were intolerable! And we certainly didn't want our 9 month old breathing that! We had the rest of the floors done with the water based. The difference is that the oil floors are much prettier that water floors, but it came down to a matter of health for us. Good luck!

According to my hardwood floor expert : Oil based finishes pull out the red undertones, and water based finishes pull out the brown undertones on the wood. He works in both... and says it's purely aesthetics & comfort (as in many floor guys aren't comfy working in both types/ have the right tools to work in both types, so they only work in one). Both will last a VERY long time if applied by hand correctly.

I have a construction license and teaching license amongst other qualifications. You should use the polyeurathane gloss on at least the first coat. You can use either gloss or satin on the last coat. usually 2 coats are sufficient.