Glennsfc, I understand you are a resident expert here. Can you help?

Must a sealer of some sort be used before the Traffic? If so, is it better to use BonaSeal or can Bona Novia be used as the sealer under the Traffic? I want to keep the natural color of the wood without adding any color or amber tone to it. I'd like the most durable finish, while showing the beauty of the mahogany with a little sheen. Any help is much appreciated.

Thank you so much Glenn for your response. I'll ask my refinishers to do one coat of Bonaseal and then two coats of Traffic. Will the Bonaseal prevent the grain from showing on the mahogany, as opposed to applying the Traffic straight without a sealer? I found out that the samples they made for me just had one coat of Traffic and no sealer (and I really like the grain on the samples, but don't want side-bonding issues either).

I had asked them to mix the satin and semi-gloss, after reading about it here. They said they highly recommend against it and that it can cause streaking. They are telling me that the satin will get more sheen after the second coat. Is this true? Also, couldn't they try the mix of satin and semi-gloss on the first coat and then if it looks streaked, do the second coat with just one or the other (since they have to sand between coats anyway)? Thanks very much for your help.

I've never experienced the streaking they mentioned, but if that is their experience, then maybe you should consider their advice.

Ask them for a sample of mahogany with Bonaseal and a coat of Traffic.

Yes, it is true that satin will get more of a sheen with sucessive coats. The open grain of the wood gets filled with the product which results in a smoother surface and a perceived glossier result.

Also, if they get good success using Traffic without the sealer, then more power to them. However, I would check with the technical folks at Bona regarding that.

Thank you very much Glenn, for lending your expert advice. When I contacted Bona, they recommended what they say on their web site, which is to apply one coat of Bonaseal and two coats Traffic. The Bonaseal has since been applied. What, in your experience, does it look like when it is dry? Does it have any "shine" to it or is it dull and completely flat?

It is so helpful to get your opinion because I haven't been able to find exactly what I'm looking for after extensive searching on the internet and unfortunately, I've been given reason to double-check what has been said to me. So, thanks again!

Bonaseal will have a "shine" to it, however...how much all depends upon the porosity of the wood itself. No way to say how "shiny" Bonaseal will be in all instances.

Thanks Glenn, you've been very helpful. I appreciate it.

Not at all an expert - just a homeowner with handy skills.

I am in the process of replacing carpet in a few rooms with hardwood flooring - red oak.

I found this post during my project and wanted to add to it, in case another DIYer has similar questions.

I thought that my existing floor, to which I was trying to match the new flooring color, was stained with a "natural" stain. Over the weekend (WORST TIME TO DISCOVER PROJECT ISSUES), after sanding the new wood, I realized that my "natural" stain was way too dark.

I then searched the net to see if I could put the finish down on the bare wood, as this would match the existing floor color better.

What I found is that the finish should NOT touch the bare wood. Tannin bleeding and paneling concerns worried me. Installing the floor was a lot of work and the finish that I had purchased was expensive. I did not want to ruin my project in the home stretch!

I wanted a sealer product that did not have pigment. BonaSeal, BonaAmber, Glitsa Truseal all seemed to fit the bill, but for me it was Sunday - ugh. Even if I could've talked a distributor into selling me the sealer, these places were all closed. VERY poor planning on my part.

My existing floor was finished with Bona Traffic 10 years ago. It has held up well, especially compared to wood floors that my neighbors have - same aged floor - when they did not demand a better finishing product.

I am going to finish the new floor with Glitsa Max. I prefer the matte finish better then the satin.

So, I found someone who would sell the Glitsa Max, slightly cheaper then Bona Traffic, and was determined to apply the first layer of finish ASAP.

This project has taken weeks to reach this point and we could see the end in sight!! - until this hiccup. (In my future, I will test stain a board before the last minute!!)

I disliked the thought of waiting until Monday to search for a product and was unsure if I could actually find the sealer locally. It was difficult to keep the bare wood clean in real life with family. I stopped at Lowes. They had a product called Zinsser Bulls Eye Clear Shellac.

The husband was not excited...he wanted me to look for Bona or Glitsa sealer.

I applied the shellac with a rag and although this took forever, it brought out beautiful grains and color in the wood.

I could tell immediately that the existing floor finish is going to be changed to this beautiful shellac and then matte finish.

I had planned to buff the existing floor and apply the Glitsa, but the new floor is richer and slightly more red.

We suspect that the existing floor installer troweled the wood filler and failed to adequately remove the excess. The grains are muted and lack the beauty that we created. As such, the existing floor will be sanded to bare wood and properly finished with a sealer.

Where I live, the wood floor boards shrink/separate in the winter - even with a whole house humidifier and additional humidifiers throughout the house.

I did not want to risk the install by failing to apply some sort of sealer.

The shellac will probably be OK. But, just to be sure, what does Glitsa say?

I have little experience with shellac and then finish.

This is an old Q&A but maybe someone will get a notification.

i just installed a little over 1,000 sf of 5" rifted and quartered, select white oak and we (or our contractor/installer) are using bonaseal and bona HD traffic instead of a stain to preserve the natural look.

We are just concerned that the contractor is putting it down wrong and every time I bring it up they say they basically know what they are doing. Their English is pretty good and there's doesn't seem to be any misunderstanding even though I'm only 97% sure I'm understanding everything they are saying.

So here's how the work has gone:

1) step 1 obviously they sanded and cleaned (and did a great job) - so far so good.

2) my wife'noticed when she visited that their step 2 involved a first coat of HD traffic before they put any sealer down. This confused us so I asked and the said the it helped to identify areas that still needed to be hit with a sander B/c it assorted differently in those areas and that is also helped prepare the wood to better receive the pre-seal and not absorb too much (???) Again they say they know what they are doing but it just seems backwards.

3) they then proceeded to only use 1 of the gallon bottles (1 of the 3 we bought) of bona seal over the 1,000 + SF. Maybe this is enough? We were expecting to use all of the pre seal.? And they've used 4 of the hd traffics gallons (with the hardener) so far.

4) they are currently doing the trim and will then put the final coat of hd traffic down.

does this seem correct?

any feedback would be great. I called Bona but they're closed for Good Friday.

I have never heard of applying sealer over Traffic. You probably would have used at least 3 gallons of the sealer had they not hit the wood with Traffic first. I have no idea what they're thinking, but maybe this is something new I haven't heard about.

Why did you have to purchase the materials...strange...

I bought materials and paid for labor

whats the issue with side bonding? If HD traffic went down first will I have expansion and contraction issues and bonding??

i have no idea what's right! Frustrating!! I'll call bona Monday I hate contractors, they're either idiots or crooks.

Yes, one if the reasons for the sealer is to help avoid sidebonding when using a waterborne system. Application of a combination stain/sealer, such as Bona DriFast does much the same thing. You may still get some sidebonding, which we also call panelization, but you lessen the chances of that occurring when you use a sealer, instead of direct application of the polyurethane.

You need to call the technical department at Bona US and tell them what you've told us.

I am so confused! We are in the process of refinishing our maple hardwood floors. My contractor wanted to use an oil base, but after doing extensive research, we decided to purchase Bona Traffic HD in the satin sheen. We called Bona to find the closest retailer and explained what we were refinishing. They never mentioned we needed to put a Bona sealer on first. Even when we picked up the Bona Traffic HD, they didn’t suggest it either. We don’t want to stain, and we want to keep the natural color and grain of our maple wood. The closest store that sells Bona Traffic HD is about an hours drive. If it is recommended to seal first, can I use another brand? And what is the difference between dealer and DriFast?

You can use Bona Dri-fast stain and then apply 2 coats of Traffic HD. Or use Bonaseal (classic seal) and two coats of Traffic HD. Dry-fast will give you color.

For Maple, I personally like 1 Loba Easy Prime and 2 coats of Loba Supra AT.

Can you use another sealer from another mfg? Yes, but check for compatibility first. Do a test sample.

I do not believe that Bona's dri-fast stain or sealer prevents side bonding, only their water base sealers do. I could be wrong, though. Check their web-site for more information.

Oh...and to help with the LOBA product, you can purchase the Loba UV Protect to ensure your maple stays PALE and SOFT and lovely. Maple turns YELLOW in sunlight. This is one of the species of wood that turns yellow NO MATTER WHAT!!!! Oil based, water based, hardwax finish = DOES NOT MATTER! Maple turns YELLOW!

If you want to keep that soft, pale, creamy colour without turning yellow, you need a UV protect product. Loba has one SPECIFICALLY designed for maple.

Again, Loba is my go-to product for fantastic floors. I agree with G & S. I would simply add the use of the UV Protect to the finish (mix it right in) and you will be SUPER happy with the appearance.

Thank you G & S and SJ McCarthy for your quick responses to my questions. I purchased 3 gallons of the Bona Traffic HD yesterday and after doing some more research on the Bona website, I came to the conclusion that I should purchase the Bona Classic Sealer before applying the Traffic HD. SJ McCathy, I am hesitant adding a UV product from another company and not sure how much I should add to a gallon of Bona Traffic HD? Also, what type of applicator to you prefer? Roller or pad? If I used a roller, what nap thickness should I buy? Thanks again!

Don't use Loba UV Protect with Bona. I suggested using the Loba product LINE...not a single product.

And just to be clear, Bona is HARD to work with. It takes TRAINING to work with this product. If you do not know which is better to use with Bona, then it is best to put the bucket down and call an expert.

Bona Traffic has a long history of getting "messed up" by poorly trained PROFESSIONALS - and homeowners simply RUIN their project. It is so bad that they have to pay more money to have the entire floor sanded and refinished properly.

You have the EXPENSIVE material. It is best to call someone who is trained to use it and have them do the LABOUR.

I have red oak unfinished flooring after 3 liers ofBone Traffic gives yellowish color .What should I do? pinkish color was lost.

Not all Bona is "Traffic". Not all Bona products are "clear coats". There are a few options from Bona (like Mega) that offer a bit of yellowing. If the company literature says "deepens" the colour of wood = ambering or turning yellow.

I'm going to guess it either was not "Traffic" it was one of the yellowing products in the Bona line....or someone used Bona Naturale as a sealer = turns a little yellow.

Or you have white oak...which can turn a snick yellow when a water based polyurethane is applied without a sealant.

Photos of the bottle.

I have a Bona Traffic Waterborne Wood Floor Finish Commercial gloss contractor used it on-unfinished white and red oak without sealer,it give to oak yellowish color. What should I do? I am crying....Thanks

You have to start over and sand the floors.

I have engineered hardwood packet with edge bevel /thanks God I bought 6mm .You suggest sand it over than, first with sealer? than witch one Bone gloss should I use? Thank you

Natural seal

if, you want it really pink , use Nordic seal.

Traffic HD with Bona Sealant. To be clear, all oaks have a yellowish caste to them. The easiest way to figure out how your floor will look with a clear coat on them: use a water damp cloth and dampen a section of the RAW/freshly sanded wood. The colour the wood turns when water-wet will be the look you will get with a clear coat.

If you do NOT like the yellow oak shows when coated with clear coat (you mentioned 'pink' as something you want???), then you may want to figure out what you DO want.

Thank you very much. yep , pink is beautiful !

contractor didn't used any sealer, started with Bona Traffic Waterborne Wood Floor Finish/commercial gloss/ and it turn in yellow. Thank you.

Look at Nordic Seal to keep a bit of pink with some frosting of white.

And btw: yellow in the world of wood is "crayola crayon Dandelion Yellow". If you are talking about a light gold on blond wood tones then this is normal for oak without sealant.

Photos would help. Again, white oak has yellow tannin that emulsifies in the water borne product and then rises to the surface of the wood...sitting underneath the finish = soft butter or margarine yellow.

Please post photos. We cannot help without photos.

If I refinish my floors and have sanded them all down and restained them a darker color, what Bona products do I need to use to finish??

Decide the look you want first, then work backwards. Look, finish, sealer, colorant.

Franke CLV110-31 Crystal 32 1/2" Single Bowl Undermount Stainless Steel Kitchen Sink is good to have ?

Hello Folks,

We are testing out some hardwood floor stains & finishes on a section of our white oak floors before embarking on the larger project. In the first photo below, we applied 1 layer of Minwax pre-stain wood conditioner followed by 2 layers of Minwax oil-based stain (natural 209), let it dry for 3 days then applied 2 layers of Bona Traffic HD in satin and left it to dry overnight. In checking on it in the morning, we noticed areas that became "dandelion yellow" (circled in the photo below) as noted by SJ McCarthy and wanted to know if this an artifact of not applying a sealant after staining/prior to adding the Bona Traffic HD. Any thoughts on how to avoid this? Would applying a sealant prior to the water-based Bona Traffic HD prevent the yellowing? If so, what Bona sealant would you advise using?

The second photo underwent an identical process except we only applied 1 layer of the Minwax oil-based stain (natural 209) and observed minimal yellowing. Don't know what to make of that.

We'd like to use the combination of the Minwax product and the Bona Traffic HD so any advice on how to prevent the yellowing would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

Cheers,

Anthony

(Apologies if the photo quality isn't great)

Remnants of the old polyurethane.

Thanks for the speedy reply G&S Floor Service. This particular section in question had newly laid oak panels installed that were never finished with polyurethane. They were simply sanded before applying the stains & finishes mentioned prior.

Any other thoughts on what might be causing the yellowing?

excess stain on the ends bleeding back.

Hi, my contractor didn't use any sealer before applying Bona Traffic HD Raw on un-finished white oak handrails and left only a darker color. Is there still any way to restore the original natural color? Thank you!

Nope, you need to resand and use a sealer if, you want to keep it light. Straight Traffic HD will darken the wood.

Thank you! What sealer would you recommend in this case?

Two coats of Bona Natural seal under Traffic HD raw.

@G & S Floor Service, gotcha! Thank you so much for your help!

Hi, following up on my question earlier, to make a comparison, the lower part of this white oak lumber has two coats of traffic HD raw without any sealer. For the upper part, my contractor resanded and applied two layers of Bona Natural seal then one layer Traffic HD raw. I like the upper part with original wood color being retained but I'm wondering if there's any way to avoid the glossy sheen. Do you have any advices?

Add a second coat of raw. It should be a four coat system: 2 sealer + 2 finish. Shake or stir for at least two minutes.

Thank you! The unfinished lumber matches my floor perfectly. Is it ok to use unfinished white oak handrail, lol? Is it definitely not recommended?