When the floors of your Craftsman bungalow become worn and need refinishing, what’s the best product to use?
That’s the question a reader posed to the Small Home Gazette, the always-engaging newsletter published by the Twin Cities Bungalow Club. The response, posted on the club’s website, makes for interesting reading. Shellac and varnish are the historically correct choices, but both are difficult to maintain, and can release harmful vapors. Oil-based polyurethane is easier to care for and looks similar to period floor finishes, but treating just a typical bedroom releases three to four pounds of volatile organic compounds into the air.
That leaves water-based polyurethane, which is easy to care for and easy on the planet, but produces a flat, colorless finish that looks the least like a period treatment. There’s a way around that, though, which involves using an oil-based stain under the water-based polyurethane, but care must be taken, since the two are not always compatible.
What’s the best option? I’d recommend reading the full article, then making your own decision based on your aesthetic, health and environmental needs.
