Ok, it's still beautiful. Not the color I wanted. But I will do it again in 10 years if I decide to sand and refresh then. :-) :-)

So long as you have a water based finish, this is as yellow as the pine *should get. Once it starts to fade in daylight (which is why we suggest leaving area rugs in the closet for 6months or so) you should get a buttery finish.

But IF YOU USED an OIL based finish your floor will go from margarine-yellow to marmalade-orange inside of a year or so. Please check your type of finish...it will be the thing that either allows the floor to lighten or turns your floor orange.

I don't know what type of finish it will be. They put only the sealer now. In a couple days they will do the varnish. They will do a varnish that is part shiny but mostly matt in order to get a more satin like finish. How did I check if the varnish is oil based or water based?

Is finish the end varnish coat? Is it different than the sealer?

The finish is the urethane or polyurethane. The sealer is different than the finish. The sealer prevents 'tannin pull' (when the oranges in the wood emulsify to sit underneath the finish to turn the wood orange or yellow).

You will need to ask your professional the brand of the finish and the line. Some companies product both oil and water based and some even make oil modified. Without knowing the brand and the line/name, you will just be guessing.

If, your finisher is skilled enough. They can use gel stains. They can rag it on for a light finish. Or brush it on for a dark finish. They would need to buff the poly very smooth since they will be suspending the stain in the finish.

That is the sealer

vniwood

This seems to be the finish. they didnt put it on yet, but the cans are here

We can't make out the maker. Where are you located?

I see arabic instructions i too need to know where you are .

Egypt. I live between nyc and cairo :-) I am renovating an old high ceiling apartment in cairo

Staining a floor over sealer IS NOT recommended. The stain would almost certainly affect the adhesion of the surface finish. A few years ago I had my guys apply a second coat of stain over a floor to make it a little darker. It ended up failing and I had to refinish the floor for free.

I sealed it and I can live with the current color. To prevent the pine from yellowing further in the future, my best bet is to finish it with a water based finish? We haven't done the finish yet.

You can add Mixol to the poly for a tint. Not sure, what is allowed where you are from. You should check with a finisher in your area.

You should be able to access the European stuff. I would work with Loba 2K Supra AT...but you MUST figure out if the SEALER is compatible with THESE types of products.

Take a photo of the FRONT of the can. We should be able to figure it out from there.

What are the 'clean up' recommendations?

That is front of the can of the sealer

What are the clean up instructions for the finish...the cans in the other photos?

Oil based = mineral spirits

Water based = soap and water while still wet

Hi everyone! So I told them I want a water based finish but they told me it costs triple here. So they said they will use oil based but I asked at least it be the clear one rather than the one that has a tinge of yellow. But still, with the oil based varnish, will my floors yellow/orange over time? :-/

But the sealer should prevent the wood from yellowing, right? on the can it is written that it provides yellowing resistance

Sorry but oil based polyurethanes = orange. And the HIGH END water based polyurethanes can be 3x the cost as 'regular' oil based polyurethane regardless of where you are in the world. It is the nature of the chemicals (ahem...high-end German water based = 3x more expensive than old-time oil based products).

The sealant says 'yellowing resistance' means tannin pull from the wood. It has nothing to do with the ambering of the oil based polyurethane coated over top. Nothing.

If you want clear then you must work with water based. If you don't believe me, then go ahead and 'paint' a white piece of paper (or cardboard) with a few coats of the oil based finish. It should turn a 'lovely' yellow-orange by the time it dries.

Thanks so much, you explained this more clearly to me than my own workers.

I read somewhere that even cheap water based finishes might yellow over time. Is that true? Or can I get away with a water based finish in my budget?

I read your comment on my other post. So the most orange it will get is like the pieces that are already the darkest now? I have a lot of variety now, some are more pale and some darker. Like this pic, the piece on the right is more pale and kind of beige, the other two are orange-like already.

Also, with that sealer I posted, you think water based finish would be compatible with it?

"So the most orange it will get is like the pieces that are already the darkest now?"

No you put an oil finish on that and give it some time and it will be almost orange.

Is water based finish ok with pine though? I heard it's not...but I'm not sure anymore cause I have read too many opinions. :-)

This is the varnish I saw the workers had at my place. should I steer clear from this? We have not applied it yet.

Water base works fine with soft wood. You need a minimum of 3 coats and the final sanding is 150 grit. You need to close off the grain to get good film build. If, the final cut is at 100 or 120. You will need a fourth coat. If, the final cut is 80 grit or less. Water base will never hold up.

The varnish you have requires a white spirit cleaner. Which is the same as mineral spirit or paint thinner. Which indicates that the varnish is a petroleum base finish. Petroleum base finish "YELLOWS". Yes, your pine floors will "YELLOW". If, you want to keep it light. You need to start over with a different system, particularly "WATER BASE".

I didn’t apply varnish or finish yet. just the sealer. It’s ok to still use water based finish after this sealer? That’s my sealer in the photo.

can you explain what final cut at 100/120 means? I am not sure I follow.

Final cut - final sanding pass.

The sealer needs to fully cure before applying a water base system over it to prevent adhesion failure. Your floor guy should know all this.

They told me today that there is a varnish that is transparent. In their opinion, they say it will not yellow and that any yellowing happens after years and years. Not sure if I should just let them do what they are used to doing and not try so hard to look for a water based finish.

" they say it will not yellow and that any yellowing happens after years and years. "

Will they put this in writing?

I don’t believe them either. Will clear varnish help though?

If it is oil based it will yellow more than likely.

It will not yellow immediately, just give it a year.

We have helped you out as much as possible. Gave you all the information needed. You will need to use your own discretion at this point to make the best decision for yourself.

I understand, but I'm still unclear if the sealer I already used would be compatible with a water based finish.

Only the manufacturer of the WATER BASED product can tell you that. You would have to PICK the finish you want to use and then CONTACT that company and ask them.

they probably did it wrong. haha. I had a lot of issues with them. But it's over now I guess I can't apply a tinted poly on top...