We overall love our floors. We've had them for over a year. We chose 3/4 White oak, rift & quarter sawn in 3, 4, & 5 inch widths

ith RMC 5%. We have a few stains that I think we need to sand and re-stain. Can you please let me know the best grit sandpaper and will hand buffing work to blend it properly? Also, in kitchen there are some grease stains but it appears there is no longer RMC grease stain cleaner available in US?

Hi Kelly,

We would be happy to assist you in finding the best solution to correct the stain. You can reach our technical support line by calling us at 844-937-6862 opt 1. They are available M-F from 8-4CT.

Thank you, my husband called and we ordered the materials you suggested. We'll keep you posted. Thank you for your help!

Does anyone have experiencing refinishing Rubio Monocoat with a different product? Does the floor need a "deep" sanding to remove the product and stains? Our floors too are deeply stained and yellowed too. Looks terrible. We found the soap product to be a joke in terms of removing any stains. I feel "taken" by all the marketing about Rubio Monocoat.

I just did my downstairs with a certified Rubio floor contractor 1 month ago. It looks wonderful. (Total strip, resadn, etc.) I'm already concerned about its durability. He put 2 coats on (5" American cherry, character) Has anyone else had experience with this type of wood? I'm worried about UV. With the oil, will it darken too fast? I built the house 10 years ago. They were finished in a European poly finish, not imported any more. Little sun damage. The finish was lovely, but wore out.. Comments, please?

@kelly. I have a bunch of spots like that on my white oak floor. What did you do to repair and did it work? I do have four kids and my whole upstairs is very light white oak and is def taking a bit of a beating. I’m not sure what those stains are even from. The downstairs of my house is American walnut also finished with rmc- and I do find there to be some oil stains- I try and not let things sit but we host a lot in our house- overall I love the look but am a little disappointed with how it looks. Our home is only three and half years old and we were told it would be extremely easy to maintain. People still walk in and comment that they love the floor but I must admit that I am quite concerned in how they will look in another five years.

Does anyone know if there are cases were 2 coats of RMC are preferred? My builder's flooring installer says most go with 2 coats and it'll be expensive, but that's not what I've read online. Can you elaborate on the benefit, or lack thereof, of 2 coats? Thank you all!

Unless the flooring installer is wanting to use the optional pre-treatment there is no "second coat". Even the RMC site says 1 layer color. Contact RMC to see if they can help you find a flooring company in your area that sells and services their products.

damaxer91 We used a RMC tannin remover they suggested. It does lessen the water spots/pet stains quite a bit if they've set for awhile and are deep. The tannin remover will remove some of the smaller less set in stains completely without sanding. However, the grease stains are more stubborn. We only did one coat originally, but overtime our floors appear to be 'yellowing' as well. This is not as durable as I would have liked but overall has the matte finish we were hoping for. We're two years in and even the baby drool leaves stains if now wiped up immediately.

I just wanted to share my experience spot fixing my Rubio floors - I had some sloppy painters who had wiped up oil based trim paint on the edges, leaving white smears. I had great luck touching up the spots using a Magic eraser followed by a little of my sample bottle of Rubio. Looks like it never happened.

bjack0013, if we had it to do over, we would never use the Rubio finish. It has been a nightmare! I have read BOTH... "only 1 coat"...and "2 coats are recommended". The Rubio company will NOT commit either way. When it is all said and done, anything that goes wrong is on your contractor. Rubio takes ZERO responsibility.

There is NO recourse! So unless you have a written guarantee from whoever is applying the finish (that covers everything), you will be out of luck!

If you want to actually live on your floors, AVOID Rubio!

Thanks Mary Elizabeth. We're torn because we hear mixed feedback. We hear it stains easily but touches up well, and that it's more durable/lasts longer than polyurethane. We really like the matte finish...not sure if we can get that out of a flat poly.

bjack0013 Last June we had our white oak hardwoods refinished and used Rubio Monocoat. We have 5 dogs and our young grandchildren visit weekly, I have a few drool spots from all the dogs and several urine stains from my very senior dog. My husband has been the worst culprit for staining the floor having spilled liquid that he didn't clean up under some metal shelving that stained the floor not once but several times. Other than those issues I love the finish, the color and how easy it is to care for my floors. I recently purchased the RM Tannin remover and so far it has removed over 90% of every "stain" I've tried it on. Including the stains my husband caused.

Would I use Rubio Monocoat again? Yes, in a heartbeat.

Thanks Kat. We’re putting in a pool and have young kids. Despite our best efforts I assume water will be tracked into the house. How long does it take to stain? Are we talking days or minutes. We don’t plan to have water sitting for hours but have to assume some water will make it into the house. I don’t want to have to touch up every weekend! Thanks!

bjack0013 - Our floor was done with RM Pure with 5% smoke so the color is on the lighter side with white oak hardwoods. My dogs go out and come in with wet feet every morning thanks to the dew and when it rains. I keep a rug by the door to catch most of the moisture. A bit of water is not nearly as bad as dog drool or urine for staining. Just make sure that if the water comes into contact with anything metal resting on the floor to wipe up the moisture immediately so it doesn't stain.
Our kitchen floor has RM also and there are no water stains near the sink or dishwasher even though some water drops make it to the floor while cooking and/or cleaning. Make sure you have a bottle of the RM tannin remover and RM cleaner and you should be fine.

$82 for Tannin remover???

Next time you have a stain, test this - pour a little hydrogen peroxide on it ...just regular grocery store strength.

Let the the HP set for 15 to 20 minutes, then wipe with a damp microfiber (water only). If the stain is not completely gone, check again in a few hours or the next day.

Curious what you might find.

Mary Elizabeth, I'd rather stick to the recommended RM products. But thanks for the tip.

Interesting that Rubio decides to come out with a stain remover so late in the game...

The majority of consumers here in the states have yet to discover Rubio. Late in the game is just your perspective. The bigger issue is contractors that lie when they say they are familiar with or have worked with the product. I know that we interviewed over 20 contractors before finding one that had heard of the product much less had experience with the product.

Kat W., A hard wax oil is a beautiful finish - when done correctly. You did your due diligence, and because of that, are enjoying your floor.

However, I am not the only consumer on this forum (or others), where initially the Rubio company marketed their product by saying "anyone can do it". Perhaps, they no longer make that claim. Our installer followed their directions precisely!

I have posted extensively about our experience with the company and the product. I kept detailed notes of every email and phone call we had with them both before and after. I still have the nasty responses from their technical department.

As others have said, they don't even make an effort to assist with problems or questions. They blame the homeowner or the installer.

It is always good for potential customers to hear both sides with any product. Especially one that is somewhat expensive, and needs to last.

We’re running into issues finding a good installer in Dallas. The GC’s sub says 2 coats and added $1-1.5k to the estimate to install “per manufacturer’s specs on website.” Doesn’t give me much confidence.

What is easiest way to completely remove Rubio from a surface? I finished a reclaimed wood tabletop and don't like the color now. I want to take it back to bare wood and go lighter. I assume it will sand off like any other finish??

Rubio suggested pure lemon juice on spots, then touching up with a little Rubio oil that is same as original, castle brown in our case. I still love my Rubio I have dogs and hate varnished floors that get scratched. I can play around with Rubio scratches and blend them in. HOWEVER does anyone get the oily footprints of your doggies on your Rubio floors? Drives me nuts in sunlight

Hello peachesmurphy,

We're glad that you love your Rubio Monocoat floor. I want to clarify that we do not recommend applying lemon juice to a Rubio Monocoat surface. There are numerous variables surrounding wood flooring and finishes. In the event of a spot, we will gladly help with identifying the cause and possible solutions. You can reach our customer support via chat on our website (Rubio Monocoat USA), email (info@rubiomonocoatusa.com) or phone (844-ZERO VOC '937-6862').

Just had White French Oak floors installed with Rubio Monocoat used , my floors are stunning until a drop of water, a kid with wet socks walks from the bathroom to a bedroom or the dog drools on them. My $16,000 dollar investment is breaking my heart. My floors never look clean. Please help, we only use Rubio Monocoat surface cleaner and it doesn't take the smears off, the water stains, the dogs wet paw prints or the any water marks from dishwasher or sink that I didn't clean up in 2.2 seconds. I would not recommend this finish unless you have a show home. Very upset. . I need someone to tell me do I re-stain my floors with something else or does Rubio have a cleaning product that will help me.

Have you tried the Rubio Monocoat Tannin Remover? It will not remove everything but it removes a lot.

I feel for you. We had our floors done three years ago. I loved them until recently, With 5 dogs and grandkids in and out they have become a pain the butt to maintain. If it was only me and my husband I would probably still be in love with my floors. I'm having mine refinished in the next month and will not be using Rubio again.

@Christina Passon, so sorry the Rubio finish is not working for you. Were your floors site finished or pre-finished?

Kat W., having to have your floors refinished so soon does not speak well for Rubio. The look of Rubio (like other hard wax oil finishes is very rich). But as you say, the maintenance is next to impossible in real life!

It has been a little over 5 years since we had ours done, but after only 6 months, we went over them with a layer of Osmo. The two brands are compatible, and Osmo is a much better product.

The Rubio reps who post on Houzz say the very same thing to everyone -"call us, we want to help". They will NOT engage in a conversation in writing!

Just one month ago. They look stunning until a drip, a drool, a kid a husband or anything touches them, it leaves a mark or stain.. I had purchased white french oak pre engineered ( top layer wood) flooring then our installer sanded them down then applied the Rubio.

@Christina Passon, did you use a color or the Pure?

For information on our recommended care process, please read Caring for your Rubio Monocoat floor.

Christina, as was discussed with our support team earlier today, we are awaiting contact from your contractor to assist with finding the best course of action.

Due to the many different factors that go into finishing a floor, some investigative works needs to be done to properly assess the situation and find the proper course of action.

I had a contractor use Rubio Monocoat Pure on my wood floors without really explaining the product to me. I take full responsibility as I didn’t do my own research. Not knowing about wood refinishing and since he sold it to me as a “superior” product I didn’t worry. They sanded it, removing the existing polyurethane. Six months later and the floor has not hold up well having with numerous scratches. I have a 25lbs dog but don’t think the majority of the scratches come from him. It just scratches really easy!!! I don’t have stains but recently discovered that the area near a window had completely discolored. The sun does not hit the window directly and I have a rug in the room. I would of expected that 10 years later but 6 months!! The only thing I want now is to have the floors redone!!! How do I remove the Monocoat coat and/or what products can I use over it? Will it have to be re-sanded?

Your floors look beautiful in the picture! Do you know exactly what Rubio products your refinisher used? Any color? How many square feet do you have?

i didn't get scratches on my Rubio floors but I did get lots of stains and wear. I had my floors, white oak, sanded and several coats of waterbased poly applied to my floors. It now looks beautiful again.

Mary, I had done about 800 sq ft. The contractor never gave me the exact color he used. He just argued that it was a superior product and all the scratches were my fault. I was just done with the product and wanted it OFF. He never explained all the maintenance it needed or how costly all the maintenance products are. I HATE it.

@Yvette, I get it! We used Rubio (Pure) on 2400 sq ft! I forgot to ask you what type of wood you have?

Cherry wood

Cherry is at 950 on the JANKA scale, so not real hard. We have maple, but not sure which kind, so it might be a softer one as well - similar to yours in hardness.

The process of having floors refinished can be exhausting and expensive. You might be better off like Kat W. says, get it over with and move on. (DEFINITELY research what finish to use!)

But if that's not an option right now, I can tell you what we did to make our floors "livable" without a complete do over.

Anyone had Rubio but switched to a different product? Results? I just had around 2000 sq ft of maple sanded and Pallman Magic Oil applied by a professional, who seems to know his stuff, and the outcome has not been satisfactory to him or us. Pallman's help consist of try this or that and after 3 weeks of many areas being tested, we are right back where we started. He's been using Pallman on many different wood species, including maple, for a couple of yrs and this is the 1st floor that has given him any grief. He is recommending switching to Rubio but I'm nervous about the maintenance and the easy staining that others seem to encounter and just am wondering if we should be looking at another product that others have had success with.

We have "rustic" maple. Wish we had NEVER heard of Rubio. Nightmare product! Ours was done a little over 5 years ago. The finish always looks smeared and stains easily. Search Houzz for people who used the professional Bona products. If your contractor is willing to re-do it, good for you.

There are pluses and minuses to every finish, none are perfect. The complaints of the wood staining from the sun is something that will happen in relatively short order and continue to happen with either a hardwax oil like Rubio or something like Bona.

A built-up finish will protect against stains better on the medium term but not long term. For example a pet stain left for a few hours will clean up on a water-based finish like Bona much better than Rubio. If it's an 8 hour or longer time frame both will be stained.

On the inverse, if you get a scratch on a Rubio floor the repair is fast and easy. If you get a scratch on a built-up finish like a Bona the only fix is to resand the whole floor and refinish. With a built-up, you can't just sand and refinish the single spot, which you can do with Rubio.

Our rubio monocoat white oak floors have ambered and darkened in an unattractive way. This is in addition to all the stains. Will be refinishing soon with Bona Traffic. It will be expensive ($10K) wish we had not chosen an oil finish.

@Chris DePaola, You're comment history is somewhat sporadic. You sing the praises of Rubio, but you don't directly address any of the complaints.

Similar to when a "Rubio rep" would post in discussions "Please call us at XXXX - we're here to help". And when challenged to join in the discussion, they would disappear.

If anyone is considering Rubio for a floor finish, please save yourselves all the grief - just DON'T use it!

@Mary Elizabeth
What did you do to make your floors livable???
I have never been happy since the first time I washed my floors. They ALWAYS look smeared! All I’ve ever used is their recommended soap and water. Followed instructions to the letter!

@B Kunnath,

I will need to look back and find the details. I'm pretty sure it is posted on another Rubio discussion here.

How many square feet of flooring do you have? Ours is a little over 2K.

We recently refinished the floors in our entire home with Rubio Monocoat. We have only been living in the home for 2 months and im so sorry I didnt see this thread first. This is in our half-bathroom by the sink where drips of soap are landing on the floor and leaving stains that are unremovable without sanding. 8 weeks in… thats it. Rubio Monocoat floors are worse than living with carrara marble on your floors. the worst part is the customer service who just try to sell you MORE products!!!

@Katherine Robison, yes, very similar to our experience. I won't post my long diatribe again, but I could find a link if you're interested.

What type of oak are your floors? Did you use a Rubio stain or a colored oil? Any additional products?

When we did our floors in 2015, we used the monocoat plus 2C (in pure), plus the Universal Maintenance OIl. They were a disaster from day one! Actually before that, as it was a 2 day job, and we started calling Rubio half way through.

They immediately went into hiding, but only after accusing us of "walking on the floor in our bare feet" or some other nonsense.

Our floors are maple. Since they're lighter than yours, we could see every single stain. Coffee, wine, drips of water (from our cat). Even though his food and water dishes were on large mats.

.

@Katherine Robison, in order to make our floors liveable, we carefully cleaned them with the Rubio soap, and then did an extra clear water rinse. Then we went over everything with this:

Amazon.com: OSMO Liquid Wax Cleaner 1 Liter for wood surfaces : Health & Household

Our total area is over 2K sq ft, so I used painter's tape to mark off start and stop areas. I was on my hands and knees to do the cleaning, rinsing, and the Osmo, The whole area took me about a week. You will want to have windows open and fans moving air, and not too high of humidity.

The Osmo isn't super strong, but it does have more odor than the Rubio.

I did 2 light coats everywhere. This was in the fall of 2016. Since then, I have only redone the main kitchen area once.

My floors are still more maintenance than an oil or water based poly finish, but not the nightmare that they were. (We do not wear shoes in our house, so for people who do, this might not work that well.)

The advantage was we were able to do it without moving out, or resanding.

I would advise that you test this is a closet or something to be sure it is compatible in your situation.

I still regret doing the Rubio, and would not recommend it to anyone.

My floors were initially finished with Rubio Oil Plus 2C (Pure) by a professional who was also a Rubio "expert". At that time, Rubio was relatively new to the Canadian market. They've since been refinished 3 times. In my experience, Rubio is not "livable" if you have children or animals:

- Impossible to clean using Rubio's branded cleaning products.

- Water, saliva - esp. dog drool, and urine cause stains, even if they are immediately wiped dry.

- Rubio's "technical help" is useless.

My next refinish will use a different hardwax oil brand. Still researching to determine the best option.

I am frustrated with my rubio monocoate floors. They stain so easy and once they are stained I cannot get the stain up (even with their products) Now im buying rugs to cover the stains. i‘ve had them less than two years and planning to have them sanded and redone with something else. So disappointed.