Floor Finishes

Q: Enjoy reading the new blog. Here’s a question for your consideration…
I’m currently in the process of getting quotes for having our floors refinished. We’ll also have them stained darker — perhaps royal mahogany or another darker shade.
But I’m struggling with selecting the right finish for the floors. Each person recommends something different, and it’s difficult to identify what’s best for us and the pros and cons of finish available:
– Polyurethane
– Durra Seal X-Terra
– Santico
– Glitza
– StreetShoe
Can you help set me straight? What’s your recommendation? The most durable?
Many thanks.
– Howard
A: The first thing to keep in mind is that Polyurethane is a type of finish, where the rest of the ones you list are manufacturers of various finishes (most are Polyurethane).
During your refinish process, you will want to get a good sealer, then use a good polyurethane with 2-3 coats to finish. Personally I would suggest looking into either Bona’s Traffic or Glitsa’s Infinity II. Both of these are water based polyurethanes that are super tough and give a great finish. Both have multiple finish gloss levels so you can choose between a more matte finish (better at hiding scratches) or a gloss finish.
With either of these two finishes you should get exactly what you’re looking for – so it becomes a matter of looking over both and deciding which one will be your winner. I would suggest talking to the folks refinishing your floor to get their opinion between the two, but I would avoid straying away from either of these two as they are both among the best finishes out there when it comes to on-site work.