Replies

1. 
   Paul_Snyder | Apr 08, 2003 05:48am | #1

   frenchie - it depends mostly on the brand as far as I can tell. Some WB products are out performing their solvent based counterparts in durablity testing. I think heat may be the biggest concern with a WB product. I'd check with a couple finish suppliers for their input.

   Paul

   F'burg, VA

1. 
   Sancho | Apr 08, 2003 05:17pm | #2

   Check out fuhr or endurocoat, jeff jewitt sells fuhr at http://www.homesteadfinishing.com and compliant sells eduro at wwwcompliantspraysystems.com those are the 2 I know about and I use enduro and its great. You cant go wrong with either 

   Darkworks:  The French "Cheese eatin surrender monkies"..Grounds Keeper Willie

1. 
   Paul_Snyder | Apr 08, 2003 11:24pm | #6

   Ron - thanks for the info. I haven't tried Enduro, but I've heard good things about it and Van Technologies. I have used a few hundred gallons of the Fuhr, and ended up switching to Target Coatings due to some recurring problems. The Fuhr was fine most of time, but sometimes it caused me some real headaches.

   Jeff Jewitt (Homestead Finishing .com) also sells the Target Coatings finishes that I prefer. Or you may find a closer distributor at Target Coatings web site - http:www.targetcoatings.com . My local finishes supplier carries the Target finishes so I can get them delivered whenever I need - which is very nice!

   Paul

   F'burg, VA

2. 
   PelhamPete | Apr 08, 2003 07:51pm | #3

   Hi Paul,

   You wrote:

   <<Some WB products are out performing their solvent based counterparts in durablity testing. >>

   Really?!  This is great- which brands/formulations did you have in mind?

   Thanks. Pete

1. 
   Paul_Snyder | Apr 08, 2003 11:16pm | #5

   Pete - BonaKemi has tested their WB flooring product against it's oil-based rivals and the WB did better. I haven't seen other such testing documentation, but the newer WB formulations are frequently compared to solvent based finishes in chemical, wear, and scratch resistance. The lack of a heat comparison makes me think many of these finishes are not as resistant to damage from heat as their solvent based counterpart - though some may be.

   If you ask a manufacturer (or some distributors) for the test results on their products, they will give you the facts. That's the way I would go if I wanted to make an informed choice.

   Paul

   F'burg, VA

2. 
   DonC | Apr 08, 2003 09:49pm | #4

   Find in the yellow pages a floor finisher that offers WB finishes. Buy what he uses.

   The guy in my hometown refinished the high school gym 7 years ago and it still looks brand new. Hardest stuff I've ever seen. It alo will not impart any color hue to maple. It's water clear unlike amber colors of oil based.

   Don

1. 
   booch | Apr 09, 2003 12:16am | #7

   Hard / Tough

   Not necessarily the same. Depends on your usage.

   I used Gym floor stuff called Pacific Strong. Per the advertisment it is resistant to scuffing by steel wool and thus makes a good floor for a gym. It is without a doubt more resistant to wearing out.

   No hard shoes on a gym floor are there? Tennies only!

   Take that same Pacific strong and drop a can of soup on it and it chips up. It is like a glass coat. I refinished the floor 2-3 years after the initial water based finish. The chips soon turned black as the Maple floor oxidized.

   It was clearer and kept the wood white but the yellow and unmarked /unchipped polyurethane was a welcome relief.

   Jack of all trades and master of none - you got a problem with that?