Finish Choices for American Cherry

Q: We installed American Cherry flooring about 2 1/2 years ago in our new home, through out the 1st floor (kitchen, family, dining and play room). I was not impressed with the person we hired to sand and finish these floors. I believe he used a standard poly, 2 coats, maybe 3.
We have 2 young children and a very active Golden retriever. With out thinking ahead, we picked out the American cherry flooring for its Rich color and pattern. We did not consider how soft this wood is.
Now the wood has scratched from the dogs nails through out the entire floor. I believe the the majority of the scratches are in the finish. We will start looking for another contractor to re-sand and finish the floors. What type of finish do you recommend? We will be able to vacate our house for about 10 days. Is it hard enough to help prevent some of the scratches (being the father of two rowdy boys, I understand that some scratches are inevitable)
Thank you for any input on this matter.
Patrick
A: A vast majority of scratches on any given floor are only scratching away layers of finish. Very few scratches will actually be so deep that they gouge into the wood itself. When it comes to abrasion resistance, this tends to be mostly a matter of finish.
There are several finishes you can look into, but I would suggest using Bona Traffic. Traffic is one of, if not the, best finishes in the industry when it comes to its ability to stand up to traffic and abrasion. The other nice part about Traffic is that it is a waterborne finish, which means its a bit more on the green side that oil-based finishes. The only downside you can find with Traffic is that you have a few less options when it comes to gloss level when compared to some of the other finishes out there, but when it comes to being tough, Traffic is top notch.
Another great finish you can look into is Glitsa’s Infinity II. Infinity II is a waterborne finish which features several different gloss levels without losing durability. The Glitsa finish is rather durable and fairly easy to apply, but overall I would suggest using Traffic to stand up to a couple of active kids and a dog.
On average 2-3 coats is fairly standard when it comes to refinishing a floor, but you could have more coats of a finish applied given the time and labor. The key to success here is laying several thin coats in order to maximize the performance and appearance of the finish. When you get a contractor lined up, make sure that they are familiar with the products you intend to use and get their suggestion about how many coats of the finish would be best for your concerns. Typically 3 coats of Traffic is sufficient even in the commercial aspect, but normally after a few years the finish is refreshed to be sure, so in your case you may want to look into a few more coats to get a bit more longevity from the finish.