I have these oil floors and completely regret it. They never look clean and easily spot if even a drop of water is left on them. I’ve had these floors for 5 years and they do not get better with time. After two years, we even had them refinished. They looked good again for a couple months and then looked crappy again. At this point, I’m not sure whether to coat them with polyurethane or rip the floor out and start over. The oil floors sound good in theory (non-toxic, natural feel) but they are expensive, high-maintenance floors that look horrible.

There’s is nothing natural or non toxic about Rubio Monocoat.

Yes you can top coat them but id recommend Odies oil over top of Rubio to fix the problem. It’s worked for me many many times.

I will try Odies. Thanks for the suggestion!

I'm surprised that others are having so much trouble with Rubio because we've had nothing but a good experience. However, a floor professional will see thousands of floors a year and hear a lot of complaints, so my experience is limited to just my floors, so take it for what it's worth. I can totally understand the frustration though, of paying thousands of dollars for floors and not have them look the way you would like them to look. Wood floors aren't cheap and putting them in requires a lot of prep on your part (like completely emptying your whole house or multiple rooms at a time).

It's been over two years now that we've had our floors and no issues, with the exception of two things - the pet stains (which will ruin any floor) and the floors look dry in the living room. Rubio has a product you can use that lessens the dry look but we honestly don't have the time or the energy to move all of the furniture, clean the floor meticulously and apply the product. It's not so bad that we can't live with it.

Hi. You won’t get much past 4-5 yrs out of Rubio. It will pretty much dry up by then and anything will stain it. It’s too bad that they won’t really stand behind their products for the high prices they charge. Makes you wonder what they need all these other products just to support the actual finish ......

The 'wear' characteristics of hardwax oils are not limited to Rubio. They have to do with the system that oil finishes rely upon. Hardwax oils are NOT film coverings. They are penetrating oils (like exterior wood stains). They move into the wood and sit there until they are washed away.

The hardwax oils are an option for homeowners who LOVE to ACTIVELY MAINTAIN their floors. Sadly the producers of Rubio, et al, have over sold the benefits of the product while downplaying the DEMANDING maintenance that is 100% required to keep these floors functioning appropriately.

So long as the HOMEOWNER is made aware (ahem...sales people please do your jobs) of the maintenance of hardwax oil I have no problem with the finish. What I have an issue with is the homeowner who is fully aware of the downsides of these finishes and yet STILL COMPLAIN about the downsides. That's what really gets my goat.

Those people are rare because most homeowners are never fully educated about these finishes. That's where the industry has failed them.

We put in a new white oak floor 6 years ago and finished them ourselves with Rubio monocoat and they have held up to all kinds of spills and pets. Even wet suits left on the floor overnight and no issues whatsoever. This finish has been amazing for us.

Going on 4 years with rubio monocoat throughout the living area. I am on here looking for a can to recoat and refresh. My floors do not look perfect, but I love them and with dogs and hardwood in the kitchen in a well lived in house this product is nothing sort of amazing.

Employee/Owner of Luxury - I'm not a Rubio employee and I've posted on here previously about my experience with Rubio. I can attest to the wear and tear these floors sustain when subjected to dirt, kids water and animals. I'll keep coming back year after year to share my experience. As of right now, my floors are still holding up, even in my kitchen. I maintain that proper floor prep is the key for hard wax applications.

Hello. I have this product on all the floors throughout my house and have nothing but problems. I am relieved to hear that I am not alone. The person who has helped me with refinishing the floors in Rubio Monocoat totally believes in the product, and has blamed me for not maintaining the floors correctly. My efforts have included being on my hands and knees trying to clean the floors with a variety of their products. A colossal waste of money and energy. Still, the person who gave me these floors is adamant that the problem is me. Very frustrating.

It’s not you it’s the product. Period.

Some of the more common issues come with certain COLOURS. The 'whites' seem to have considerable issues whereas the 'natural' wood colours (a range of colours from pale gold through to deep walnut) are a bit easier to maintain.

C Murphy, which colour did you choose?

As of todate the whole line up is a epic failure.

-never fully cures ever

-doesn’t last much past 4-5 yrs unless you reoil every 1-2 yrs

-isn’t stain resistant at all

-costs almost $300 a litre to cover 4-500 sq ft

-always needs two coats

This product is not as advertised at all. Use a better finishing system if you want real use of your wood floors.

We applied rubio monocoat white to our brand new white oak floors about 3 months ago. Sanded and hand applied in the entire house (3,800 sf), used a timer for appropriate wait times. The house has continued to have finish-construction traffic walk on it daily plus our two large mastiffs when we take them in while we work. Minor spills have cleaned up easily. Dogs nails do not appear to be affecting it (yet). We're moving in within a few weeks. I have a Ruggable runner in the kitchen galley to hopefully take the brunt of spills in the future. We have only mopped once so far with rubio's floor cleaner. We knew that it will require ongoing maintenance but felt it was the best choice with having large dogs. The white finish on white oak looks fantastic. I love the matte/dry finish on our 8" boards providing the perfect beachy look for our new coastal farmhouse decor. So far we're very pleased and hope it will hold up long term as expected. One thing to note, my husband - who has sensitive skin - did most of the application by hand and did get considerable rashing after doing each area of the house. I was suspicious after we both rashed after phase 1. He applied in another area of the house weeks later and rashed again so we're pretty sure the monocoat was the agitator. Wear gloves and long pants. I was wearing shorts and where I came in contact on my legs is where I rashed.

My Rubio floors have held up quite well. I have old Harris Angelique herringbone and Saxony finished in late 2015 with Rubio 2C white and an old White Oak shorts floor I wire-brushed, treated with Smoke Active Stain and oiled with Cotton White in my master suite.

The White Angelique floor was done a few months before my dog died and there were a few saliva spots that I've lived with. The floor was cleaned re-oiled a few months ago and looks great. We haven't done anything to the White Oak floor other than vacuum. I was surprised that it wasn't damaged when the dog had an accident (luckily of the solid variety). I once tested the feasibility of spot refinishing after not masking an area well enough before spraying paint. I scraped and sanded the paint off with an orbital sander, cleaned the floor and re-oiled it. The retouched area is indiscernible from the rest.

Around the same time my first area was done, we did a White Oak floor with diluted Fumed Active Stain and Cotton White oil in a kitchen/breakfast/family room. I re-oiled my own floor to determine whether there were any pitfalls to be concerned about and it went smoothly. The guy who manages my customer's home couldn't find the Rubio Soap I provided them and said he thought they'd been using a steam mop. To my amazement, the floor looked quite good and after it was re-oiled it looked great.

I'm very cautious in selling Rubio to customers. For the customer's floor we just re-oiled, the Rubio wasn't even considered until we determined there was no other way to get the look they wanted. I never recommend it in a kitchen or other areas where there's a lot of moisture. If someone in the home is at risk of falling I would recommend against it because it's more slippery than a urethane finished floor. If someone want a more carefree floor, I recommend they don't use Rubio, or any other oil for that matter.

No finish is perfect and NOTHING lasts forever so figure out what's important to you, arm yourself with knowledge determine what's best for YOU.

Just because you can't distribute them anymore doesnt mean you should bash them Luxury. You work for Odies, we get it.

I want to know how Rubio is standing up with other peoples' pets. My dogs weigh about 25 lbs and they have caused scratches all over the floor. I slid a box on top of thin cardboard when moving in and it marked the floors. I pulled a piece of tape off the floor and my fingernail scraped off the stain. The precolor and oil didn't penetrate the floor and offers no protection!!!

It doesn’t hold up. Precolor sits on top of the wood and is nearly impossible to repair.... I am sure there is a class action suit soon to come. Rubio is a farce of a finish.

Luxury wide plank floors sorry but I am not a Rubio employee on damage control. I don’t know anything about the company. I researched and applied it myself. Just cause my experience is different doesn’t mean I’m an employee. I really wonder what your motive is as you seem to spend a lot of time bashing them. Maybe they deserve it, but I am more interested in actual customers experience than someone with an agenda who doesn’t even use the product. Anyway, just did a second home with this product last month. Much lighter color so a little worried about stains. Will update once I see how the lighter colors wear, good or bad for those who want honest feedback.

I just did a search on this topic and I am happy to find this thread because we are having terrible problems with Rubio floors in a house that was built only two years ago. The floors look terrible and I don't want to spend money to fix them only to have them look horrible in a year...

Sorry Igrrl....you HAVE to maintain Rubio! You absolutely have to. The homeowner must do all the maintenance. That's the way this works.

First things first: please post a photo of your current floors and the colour that was used.

Then tell us ALL ABOUT your maintenance efforts SO FAR. That means you need to tell us all about how you use the 4 MAINTENANCE products. Yep. All four (4).

You will tell us how many times you have used the Maintenance oil over your floor (the entire floor...not just spot patching). And how often you use the cleaning oil (instead of floor cleaners). And how you use the Master Colour Oil (used to refresh the colour you chose). And the 'emergency' spot cleaning oil for stubborn stains.

After 2 years you *should have used the cleaning oil 2/month x 24 months = 48 times...correct?

After 2 years you *should have used the Maintenance Oil 2/year x 2 years = 2-4 times...correct?

After 2 years you *might have had to use the Master Oil once = 1 time already....correct?

Please confirm you have done all of these things.

Just as an aside, I don't use anything but Rubio's cleaning soap and mine look great. I do have the maintenance oil but have been too lazy to use it. It's probably time as it has been, what, over 4 years now? I am firmly convinced it's all in the preparation. I think a lot of floor installers think they can just bang these floors out like they do for poly applications, but you just can't. I could be wrong, but that has been my experience. We installed and finished the floors ourselves according to Rubio's directions. I listed the process on another thread about Rubio.

I applied rubio monocoat tomred oak floors that I installed and sanded myself. i ended up using a random orbit sander to 120 grit. I followed the rubio instructions, by troweling in and then hand buffing 15 minutes later. The floor feels nice and smooth to the touch, or even in bare feet, but feels terrible tp walk on in wool socks. It feels like the socks are catching the grain of the wood at every step. it is less apparent in cotton socks.

Does anyone have an idea of whats going on here? poor sanding, poor application? Has anyone else had this experience?

I have tried taking some 600 grit and also 0000 steel wool in some sections to see if that would knock down any raised grain, but it hasnt helped, although it does feel quite smooth to the bare touch.

Any help would ne appreciated

Sounds like it would be your sanding. You might have missed spots. Post pictures.

@William Nelson — if it looks like fairly straight grain (i.e. not gnarly) it might be a matter of water swelling up the fibers in that area. If so, it may not have been “water popped” (where a light coat of water is applied before the final sanding) during application, or the oil might need to be refreshed there. To remedy it you can sand the spot, wipe a damp rag over to wet the fibers, let it dry, then do a final light sanding before re-applying finish. Use 100–120 grit sandpaper—any finer and you will buff the surface too much for the 2C oil to make a good bond. I recommend avoiding steel wool on wood, too. It leaves behind small steel particles that can and do rust when it gets humid or wet.

I used Rubio Monocoat to stain a wood ceiling. It used to be advertised as having no lap marks, but that statement seems to have disappeared from the website - with good reason. Even though I tried to keep a wet edge throughout the application process and apply evenly, lap marks were highly evident. Rubio has gorgeous colors (it smells good, too) but it's difficult to work with. A very expensive mistake.

Sorry to hear of your difficulty. Considering how hard it is to remove Rubio from a floor, and the necessity to remove all the excess to ensure even coloration, I would never recommend applying it on a ceiling. I could have told you that for free. I might consider using their deck stain but even that's not likely. There are far more suitable products for this application.

I had an allergic reaction to this stuff....

I had a rash over everything, especially behind my ears and my face. Anyone else???

I am considering using rubio to refinish my kitchen cabinets (red oak). I have searched and searched but don't see much (if any) examples of people using this on kitchen cainets. It would seem if it could/should hold up to floors - it should work on kitchen cabinets. I am interested in the product because of their color line. I am hoping to use their pre-color in mint to counter the red in my cabinets and then apply an oil ocer the precolor. Looking to hear your thoughts on how it will hold up and what type of maintenance will be required.

@colinkikkert I am all rashed up right now. What did you do to get rid of it? Anywhere a finished piece touched my skin I have broken out. I did some box beams so I had to carry them and do a bunch of overhead hanging and there was skin contact. Wore PPE while finishing and had no problems, but a week later I am all broken out from this stuff.

Honestly I couldn't treat it. I tried so many things. At the time I didn't realize it was the stain tho. And I've only used it once for a shelf since I realized I was allergic. @Matt Mainyo.. the only thing that would numb the itch was grape seed pills.

Saving

Looking at the situation, it’s better to let the professional deal with this problem with Rubio monocoat. However, the company’s website has a renovation solution for performance and visual problems that could cover things like this. They suggest RMC Oil Plus 2C renovation for restoration of color, appearance, and protection.

We are building a house with 4" plainsawed white oak floors. We want a light nordic look with no ambering over time. Pets, kids. Floors are throughout the house including the kitchen. (Basement has LVP). We're deciding between going with Rubio vs. Bona water-based poly (Nordicseal + MegaOne or Traffic HD).

Really glad I found this thread. Seems like Rubio gives you a more natural look that is easier to spot repair but it requires a LOT more maintenance, is not great for kitchens, can yellow over time, and is susceptible to staining and discoloration. Whereas the polyurethane won't give you as natural of a look and can't be spot repaired, but will likely last longer, requires less maintenance, and doesn't discolor as easily.

Pros - does that feel like a fair summary?

The only hesitation I have about something like Bona MegaOne or Traffic HD is I've heard they are so hard that they can crack, whereas with an oil / wax-based finish you don't have that risk. Anyone pros have a perspective on the cracking risk?

I had Rubio Monocoate precolor and stain on my floor for the past 3 1/2 years and I have hated every day of it. It always looks dirty, dog drool stains it and the sleeve on my central vac hose rubbed the stain off to bare wood. My floors are being re-sanded and re-stained right now with Bona. When the contractor was sanding the floor, he commented that it was like paint and it came off easily. It never penetrated the wood. I would NEVER recommend Rubio. Mine scratched day one so it doesn't last at all.

Gene G- We used Loba 2K Invisible on our white oak floors and love it. It leaves the wood looking as though there is no finish on it. Super matte; Zero sheen; No amber color.

We put Rubio MC throughout our entire 2000 square foot house and it looked AMAZING.... for at the longest maybe 6months then it looked dull and never could I get it cleaned. I used their cleaner as instructed; and we re-freshed it per their instructions with another coat or two but again it lasted not even 2-3 weeks before it looks dull and terrible. I hate hate hate my floors. My beautiful quartersawn white oak looks like trash. I wish I had never heard of RBC and just did Bona. Buyer beware, they do not hold up to real life. Yes we have kids and pets but shouldnt that be expected??? That is real life and even in my low traffic and hardly ever used areas my floors look awful so if your thinking of using RMC - use caution.

Lori Campbell - I felt the same! I hated my floors for 2 1/2 years and fought with Rubio as well as the company who applied the finish. I just had my white oak floors sanded and finished with Bona - clear sealer and two coats of Ultra Traffic HD. For the first time, my floors look clean. I never felt like my old floors with Rubio felt clean. They were dull and every time I cleaned them with the Rubio cleaner, I felt like I was taking the stain off. Of course, the finish came off easily. The Bona guys said that the finish was merely sitting on top and never penetrated the wood. Thus, it was easy to scratch and wear off. After 2 years, my floors appeared to have 20 years of wear. I will never advocate for Rubio ever again and the company should be sued. They promise durability when they offer no protection at all.

Weve had Rubio on our floors and stairs for years, without a single issue! We’ve got kids and hunting dogs, so we are not easy on our floors

This type of finish is also the most common in the world while what we do here in the states is not

Most of the stains see in photos in this thread could be fixed in seconds with the rubio tanin remover. Any saying the rubio maintenance products are expensive dont realize the large bottle of soap will last a life time, as you use a cap full or less and not with every cleaning.

it is important to understand that the look will be very different then the standard shinny floor you see in the U.S., rubio is basicall dead flat finish If you want gloss dont get rubio

Also its far more repairable the a standard built-up finish Get a scratch on a rubio floor and you can hand sand it and put more rubio on Scratch a built-up finish and you have to refinish the whole floor

Ill take rubio every time!

I despise the Rubio Monocoat floors. They were done in 2016, and we bought the home in 2019. With over 2000 square feet of uninterrupted oak flooring on the same level, putting down the maintenance oil takes more time that I can allot. The oil needs to dry overnight, and with pets, it is almost impossible for me to get this done. But without the maintenance oil, they look dry and show simple footprints. I feel like I need to clean my floors everyday. So we are going to have to hire movers and move all our furniture and have the floors poyurethaned. I long for simple satin polyurethane and floors that look clean. I am so glad I am not alone.

Thanks for your response! I thought it was just me that felt like tearing my hair out and crying everytime I looked at my floors. Even after JUST washing they look dull and dirty - I will happily take a few scratches on a poly floor! I am waiting till we have a "lull in life" then I am going to do exactly what you are doing and what I should have done in the first place. Shame on you Rubio for making a product that is well marketed but is such a disappointment for people like me who use their floors and expect better.

I broke out in a major rash and eyes swollen shut put me in ER. Dumb me grabbed the cloth without gloves. Anyone get any medical advice to direct cause.

Super happy with finish on walnut slab bar and table. Just wondering with allergy causing ingredient

Mineral spirit is used for clean up. We use it to clean it off ourselves. You can try that. If, you have sensitive skin, seek medical advice from a doctor.

I have found the problem ingredient to be the hexamethylene accelerator - not the oil. Part b is what gets me. I have used it since without accelerator - no issues. I am careful to avionics direct skin contact if possible.

Confirmed by skin test !

Thanks all

As a wood worker, a business owner, and a contractor, what I can tell you about hardwood floors is that if you are using ANYTHING but water and in severe cases a mild detergent and I don't mean a lot of detergent, ANY finish will fail if not maintained. Any products containing, ammonia, alcohol, bleach, anything acidic, or a ph value higher than 9 or lower than 5 will destroy ANY finish. If you are using any SC Johnson product on anything wood, you are creating your own problems. NEVER USE SWIFTER LIQUID PRODUCTS ON HARD WOOD ANYTHING. Every finish has its benefits and downfalls. A hard wax oil product is easily corrected whereas a polyurethane finish most definitely is not easy to correct. It all comes with educating the end user or if you are the end user, getting reliable, and reputable information. People have a mis conception that a wood floor can be cared for or neglected like a vinyl floor and it cannot. Anyone boasting that hard wood floors are this that and the other because of a finish that was applied needs to be more concerned with their own behaviors that could have caused, led to, or accelerated the finish failure. I have applied EVERY type of finish to wood in my career, and in every case, I inform my customer of the doo's and don'ts with their finish. Before any client chooses a finish, I fully educate them on care, maintenance, and when needed what will be needed to correct an issue in the finish. At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself this question. How much effort do I want to contribute to keep something beautiful.

I agree with Paul. We NEVER use anything but the recommended product for our floors. I don't use water and vinegar, a popular choice now on social media for content creators that do deep cleaning videos. I have used hydrogen peroxide for one-off issues like removing pet stains (and it works well to fade the tannin). It's been over 6 years now and our floors look the same as the day we finished them, even in the kitchen.

The reason I want to come on here and make a point about this is not because I want to bash any one person or business but because I truly believe prep is the key for Rubio. Find a contractor that is well-versed in hard wax applications and ask for references from their clients that have had hard wax finished floors for at least 4 years. If there is an issue, it will likely crop up in that amount of time. I really feel like the poor applications is likely due to the contractor that applied it. The only other thing I could think of is that there was something off about the wood it was applied to, but I don't have enough experience in that realm to say that with a certainty.

The process to prepare the floors is very specific. The way in which you sand, the way in which it is applied, and the way in which you remove it. We're advanced DIY'ers so we did this ourselves from the installation of the oak to the application of the product. The one thing that is so awesome about hard wax applications is the way you can spot sand scratches and gouges and then reapply the product. It's like it never was. You don't have to sand and redo the entire floor. We did our floors in phases so we had a transition from the kitchen doorway to the hall and I had to buy a new can of Rubio in the same color to stain the hallway flooring. The transition is seamless, even though the stain came from a new can - the color consistency of their product was superb. I do have an area that has a significant scratch. I will video the repair process and post it here.

I agree with Paul Hunsicker. We NEVER use anything but the recommended product for our floors. I don't use water and vinegar, a popular choice now on social media for content creators that do deep cleaning videos. I have used hydrogen peroxide for one-off issues like removing pet stains (and it works well to fade the tannin). It's been over 6 years now and our floors look the same as the day we finished them, even in the kitchen.

The reason I want to come on here and make a point about this is not because I want to bash any one person or business but because I truly believe prep is the key for Rubio. Find a contractor that is well-versed in hard wax applications and ask for references from their clients that have had hard wax finished floors for at least 4 years. If there is an issue, it will likely crop up in that amount of time. I really feel like the poor applications is likely due to the contractor that applied it. The only other thing I could think of is that there was something off about the wood it was applied to, but I don't have enough experience in that realm to say that with a certainty.

The process to prepare the floors is very specific. The way in which you sand, the way in which it is applied, and the way in which you remove it. We're advanced DIY'ers so we did this ourselves from the installation of the oak to the application of the product. The one thing that is so awesome about hard wax applications is the way you can spot sand scratches and gouges and then reapply the product. It's like it never was. You don't have to sand and redo the entire floor. We did our floors in phases so we had a transition from the kitchen doorway to the hall and I had to buy a new can of Rubio in the same color to stain the hallway flooring. The transition is seamless, even though the stain came from a new can - the color consistency of their product was superb. I do have an area that has a significant scratch. I will video the repair process and post it here.