20 Best Sealer For Wood Floors (2023 Updated)

We have a 10,000 sqft concrete shop floor. Every year or two we clean, strip, seal and finish our floors with these Zep products. The most important step is to mop the floor with clean water several times before laying down sealer and finish.

We use the stripper with a floor scrubber, mop it up, then follow with another floor scrubber using the neutral cleaner, that way it gets up a of the stripper that gets dried out or flung around and missed.

When applied carefully, you get a perfectly gloss finish. Also if you skip the sealer, you will see more imperfections in the base material. The sealer helps keep the concrete looking more uniformly wet.

Also the best way to apply this product is with a wide microfiber mop such as the Rubbermaid Hygen Q570, Q424 and the telescoping angled handle. we used to use the rayon mop heads but they take longer and leave streaks.

the streaks will dry out and be fine, but they wind up taking like 2 hours to fully dry between coats.

I had commercial grade Armstrong VCT installed. A few days later, I was having workmen arriving and thought I should seal the new floor before they walked on it (installer threw away Armstrong packaging).

I bought this at HD and applied it. It never turned white and I applied 1 thin coat. Several hours later, the workmen arrived and walked on the floor. The next day, when I saw it, I almost had a heart attack.

The floor was FILTHY!!!!!! I tried to clean it and the brown from the dirt wouldn’t come up. I stripped the floor with Zep stripper. The floor still wouldn’t clean up. Stripped it a few more times, then applied the sealer again.

After an hour, I applied the second coat. Two weeks later, the floor is still sticky!!!!! Apparently, that is what happened when I applied the first coat; the floor hadn’t dried after several hours and all the dirt from the guys’ boots ended up becoming part of the floor.

I’m now going to have to get professionals in to strip the floor with machines and professional products. I’m furious. There is no way I put too much product on. And, still being sticky after two weeks of drying is outrageous.

I returned ALL the Zep products I had and will NEVER use these products again. Did Zep forget to put in a drying agent? The instructions say it takes 1/2 hour to dry. Really????????? And of course Zep blames the problems on the customer.

Pathetic.

Armstrong VCT Tile does not require stripping before the first application of sealer is applied. Its product has a fast start finish that is simply washed with a neutral floor cleaner. and rinsed. Application of the sealer and polish was with a Rubbermaid microfiber flat mop.

This microfiber mop applied an even thin coat that dried in 30 to 40 minutes. The coverage was according to the label. 500 square feet was covered with about 1/3 gallon of sealer and 1/4 gallon polish.

I’m a certified designer who recently refinished approx 2000 sq’ of heritage original chestnut plank floors. Upper floor: I used this product in it’s oil based version both on bare floors and tinted stained floors.

Lower floor: I used this exact water-based product over chestnut (bare) as well as parquet oak floors. It’s now a year later for both and here’s my opinion: OIL: To use was obviously tricker and more tedious.

It definitely tends to bubble more than water (I use a cotton roller then a pad applicator over top to smooth and spread evenly while wet). Oil goes on thicker, requiring fewer coats. Drying time is about a day vs water which took a few hours.

Odor was heavy. Clean up was a chore. The clear varnish results in a honey coloured tint, it does not go down clear, so beware of the golden-orange colour change. Durability: after a year of heavy traffic and cleaning the oil shows very minimal if any, signs of wear (scratch or dulling).

Very pleased with the durability. WATER: Goes on crystal clear, no tint like the oil. Application was easier than oil, it has a thinner & more watery consistency than oil, no bubbling. Odor was much lighter than the oil version of this product.

Drying time was impressive. I was walking on the floor the same day whereas oil I always sit for at least 24-48 hours. Clean-up was also impressive, easier than latex paint. The downside to this product is that it does not wear like the oil version.

It wears much more quickly. Not to say it isn’t durable, it’s still holding it’s semi-gloss sheen quite well, but showing signs of scratching quite quickly. It’s likely that I’ll simply add another coat or 2 over the 3-4 original coats within 2-3 years from now.

The oil floors upstairs show no sign of requiring a maintenance coat. Overall I’d choose the water version as my preferable choice. I’m not intimidated by work or maintenance with the water version as it’s so easy to apply and dries so quickly.

For true wood lovers wanting to showcase grain or the wood surface underneath, the genuine clear finish does a much better job than the “clear” honey tinted oil version at bringing out the grain. I’m about to varnish a spelt-maple large dining table.

I will choose the water based product although I know the table will take some abuse (I’ll eventually add a glass protective topper). In an area where water could be more of a contender however, like a kitchen or foyer, I would happily go with the oil based version of this product again.

One tip: when varnishing: use a cotton roller to quickly spread 1-3 lines on the floor. Use a varnish synthetic wide varnish pad immediately over top to smooth out, repeat. Always light-sand before final coat.

I used this method for both oil & water & it was a quick way to eliminate bubbles (oil) and lines from typical brush or pad lines.

This is the best product I have ever used for floors. It dries fast, extremely hard after curing. It takes a bit of practice to get the hang of using the sponge mop that is available for applying. I brush the edges then use the mop for the rest.

I did not use a roller. If using the product in the winter turn the heat down to 20c so it doesn’t dry to fast. Always maintain a wet edge. Don’t overwork it. No less than two coats. I put 3 down and very happy with results.

I’ve been using this particular water based urethane for many years. I used it on all the Spuce trim, Jatoba stair treads and countertops and baltic birch cabinets in a $500k home in Virginia and have used it since on many pieces of furniture and even steel as a clearcoat.

Apply a heavy coat with a brush, preferrably in the shade (with dust control) and in less than 80f temperatures if possible. Sand with a DA sander with a worn out 150 grit or fresh 320 grit disc between coats.

Usually I go for 4-6 coats for plywood and more if there is grain that needs to be filled in. I think this product is superior to the Minwax offerings and from Zoro with free shipping, it’s a real bargain.

Application and cleanup is easier than oil based products, and the natural color and soul of the wood is preserved more accurately. It also doesn’t yellow after UV exposure.

This product has helped my senior dogs tremendously. I got it due to my dogs ACL injury, but it has helped both of them. I did underestimate coverage and some areas are more gritty than others, and I wasted some product due to mixing up too much.

I had planned to do the other half at a later time and would have had enough to do it if I had not mixed it up already (you have to use product with in a few hours of mixing). Due to the way my house is set up I could not do the other half when the first half was still wet.

So be sure to accurately determine how much you will need before you mix. I thought I did, but didn’t. The finish is great, and I actually like it better than the original finish. However cleaning is a little different if using paper towels or microfiber – it tends to catch on the grit.

All and all I will be buying another gallon to finish the other areas that need finishing and to touch up some spots that had less coverage (this must have been from me not reloading the roller). I even like walking on it better! Tip: Make sure you stir bucket well each time you pour some in a paint pan – the grit does settle in the pail you mix it up in.

We recently re-treaded our carpeted stairs with wood and despite using matte finish, they were too slick for our Lab. He slid down them several times and started refusing to go down unless I put boots on his front paws.

After some extensive research, I found the SlipDoctors Floor Grip product. It is very easy to apply, and dried enough for light traffic in 2 hours, so it wasn’t too much of a bother to not have access to upstairs for that amount of time.

The odor is quite minimal, especially compared to polyurethane. The matte finish is beautiful and you can barely see the grip texture. (I tried the gloss at first but it was too blingy compared to our wood floors, which are not very shiny).

It feels like a sanded finish, but the grip particles are very fine, so it doesn’t detract from the beauty of the wood stairs. Took a couple tries to get the dog to believe he wouldn’t slip, but after a couple times down the stairs, he is as confident on them as he was when they were carpet, and I’d say they’re now actually safer than our cheap carpet was.

I have a 20 x 30 home woodworking shop with an industrial paint coated 3/4 flake board floor. Twice in the last 6 mon. at 80 yr. , I, from enthusiasm, have tripped, fallen and sprained the same knee resulting in chronic pain and daily exercise.

I applied the above product. Preliminary shop/floor cleanup was the hard part. The product was easy to mix, roller on with only 2 hours until touch dry. The second coat was also straight forward. The next day revealed a semigloss finish, that was nonslip, but not gritty (barefoot comfortable).

I will need to relearn walking on the shop floor because I can not use sliding as a location method. I recommend the product.

We used Waterlox on our walnut wood kitchen countertop. Previously we used an oil finish that we purchased at IKEA. The Waterlox is a huge improvement in every way. We would never consider going back to an oil finish.

The downsides of the Waterlox is the smell during application and that it is rather slow drying, but after that it is very durable, doesn’t dry out and retains it’s gloss. it definitely was the right choice for our countertop!.

So I used this product for my butcher block counter-top with a sink. I applied 7 coats initially while sanding in between coats. Sanding between coats gums up sandpaper, so very light sanding is recommended.

I had to wait 24 hours between coats otherwise the previous coat lifted off like a film and I had to wipe it off and restart the process. It was troublesome reapplying coats. I finally got my butcher block to an acceptable look which wasn’t perfect under regular sunlight but with the under-cabinet lights it looked perfect.

2 years later I decided to re-coat the counter-top because the butcher block had some voids that let some water in. It wasn’t the waterlox finish’s fault but crappy butcher block. But I had problems re-coating the butcher block again, this time even worse.

I put on a very thin coat at fist and it was pretty much dry to the touch, and tried to re-coat 6 hours later, only to remember my initial pains of waiting 24 hours. So I did wait 24 hours between coats and I had to deal with the stink troughout my house for 7 days.

Also waiting 24h did not help this time, the new coats kept lifting the old ones and I could scrape off coating with my nails. I tried sanding it off, to various degrees of success. So eventually i thought i finished it off, only to have the coats slowly lift off 4 months later.

When I get a particular area wet and soapy (because its a sink) i get this water-lox film coming off, it’s super annoying. I dont know how this product gets such high reviews. It is as if i have applied some paint thinner and the paint started melting and coming off.

Amazing Results!! This sealer was extremely easy to apply after taking in a cabinet repainting project on my new home. The application process was easy and I was able to apply the topcoat on the cabinets rather quickly! The top coat adhered extremely well and I definitely purchase this product on any future projects! I highly recommend!!.

IšverstiShow in original languageI have bought several of the colors from Vermont Natural Coatings. I have used them on a rocking chair, dresser, side table, bed and desk, so far. I love that they are so low in VOCs and non-toxic.

That is the big draw and the reason I buy it instead of some potentially cheaper product from Lowes or Home Depot. Most stains smell so bad and if you are smelling it you are inhaling it. These are very mild, though I still prefer to paint an item on the driveway or in the garage.

I will be back for other products. Would be great in they expanded their range to include low VOC paint too!.

IšverstiShow in original languageAfter suffering through the odor that lingered for days and clean-up requiring Mineral Spirits, I FINALLY found a product that works and does not STINK. Vermont Natural Coatings Poly Whey is the only final coating I will ever use again.

The ease of coating, the nearly odorless smell, the two hour drying time, and the simple water clean up makes this the best wood coating for all future projects. One of the biggest benefit is that I can now create all year round without having to wait until the temperature outside is warm enough to work out there.

Having a workshop in the basement of the house, the family is overjoyed that I won’t be stinking up the rest of the home. For the last 20 plus years, I have always turned to Minwax products or Varathane products for the final finish.

Sorry guys, you lost a customer. For anyone looking for an excellent finish without the smell and mess, this is the product to turn.

IšverstiShow in original languageThe Vermont Natural Coatings PolyWhey® Floor Finish was very easy to use and was even easier to clean up. A thin coat dried in less than 2 hours and I was able to do a second coat in a day.

If there are spots/marks on the floor, taking some sandpaper to it and using a brush to apply some floor finish to it makes it an easy fix. I have used this product before and will continue to use it for future maintenance of our hardwood floors.

Extremely watered down. Smells like pine but within 2 minutes smell is gone. I bought this hoping it would be similar to the Original Pine Sol but nothing will ever compare. Also, the price for this is ridiculous for what I was expecting.

I never give bad reviews but this product really horrible. Dollar store pine cleaner is awesome compared to this one and you know that Dollar store pine cleaner is garbage!.

I add a little water to it warm water i use it to clleaning cubards and tables. I would recommend it to family and friends. I think its a good product.

Product too pricey compare to Pine Sol, which I feel is a superior product.

IšverstiShow in original languageWe have 57 year old hardwood floors that are still in pretty good condition but we wanted to restore without paying too much money and thought it would be a good idea to give this a try.

We tested it out in our guest room since it doesn’t have high traffic and can dry in peace without the family/pets stepping all over it. I went and bought the Rejuvenate Mop that came with 3 pads ( cleaning, dusting and polishing) and also bought the Rejuvenate Floor Cleaner as well.

So the instructions were very simple to follow. Instead of using the dust mop I ended up vacuuming the whole room since we have pets and I wanted to be sure I got all the hair off. I cleaned it then used the polish as instructed.

Be sure that before polishing the floor need to be completely dry! We ended up using two coats of the polish and felt that they looked good enough. The food looked so beautiful and we were impressed.

It didn’t really fill the larger scratches but really did a good job covering the smaller ones. Aside from tired arms I really liked this product and am going to continue using it for the rest of the rooms and hallway.

IšverstiShow in original languageI received this product and thought it would be almost like mopping my floor. Did not realize there would be so much I’d have to know about my floor before using this! I opted to try the product in an spot no one but me would see… my closet.

I cleaned, and sanded off a 2’x2’ area , I then used the product to test it. Almost like when you’re testing skincare products for the first time hehehe. I followed the instructions and now waiting to see final result.

I’m letting it sit for 48hrs untouched or bothered by anything. I think emptying out my closet was the biggest nuisance, but after that cleaning & sanding off the top with a battery operated sander , then applying product was not so bad.

The area seems very shiny right now, and that’s with little light! Can’t wait to treat my floors with this! May have to buy 2 more bottles I would 100% recommend this to someone who would like to give their wood floors a new life, but do not have the money to hire professionals or can’t change out all their flooring.

IšverstiShow in original languageIt does an ok job adding back shine to dulled out wood floor surface. It’s thin milky fluid that is poured on the floor and mopped once the floor’s prepped/cleaned. It’s an easy application anyone can handle.

The issue I have with it is that it requires/recommends microfiber cloth to mop with it. I happened to have one laying around at home but if you don’t have one, you need to get one or find an alternative.

I didn’t catch that at first and used the papertowel to wipe and it left a film of hazy residue on multiple spots which is unsightly. I mopped the area again with a microfiber cloth and went away. I was concerned it would leave chemical odors but it didn’t.

It contained a lot of different chemical material that makes me wonder what long tern effects it would have on the wood. Overall, it’s a nice product to restore the dull surface if you have a hard time doing with normal cleaning.

Item arrived quickly, and does what it’s designed to do.

I bought this product to use on wood look tiles, at first I was pleased with the lovely shine and color of the tile. Then life happened. My husband sat of the bar stools in the kitchen = scratched surface (I let it cure for 2 days before using the stools) then my dog had an accident = finish disappeared in the shape of her urine puddle.

The finish has continued to scratch easily. I emailed rejuvenate and they did reply is a short amount of time but the reply was to let to floor cure for 2-3 days before sliding furniture over it (areas that had not been used for 4 days wore off in a similar fashion).

They also said that dog urine will remove the surface – this is not mentioned on the web page or bottle that I could find. I will be removing this product from my floors. Please note the two about considerations when using this product.

It may have worked better on wood floor but not the tile despite being on of the valid floor types.

Would give it a five but just not sure that it’s doing anything that the high traffic floor finish by zep isn’t doing. It does go down really smooth and glides easily, easier than the finish does on stripped floor but I don’t think it makes the finish shine anymore than just putting the finish on but it’s a really good product.

Haven’t tried it on really worn tile yet I’m hoping it helps those floors look better.

I applied 3 coats of this sealer to concrete that we had applied water based concrete stain to. We got great yield, the product appears to be tough as iron, and we are happy with the way it went on as well as it appears.

You can spend $100 or more on sealer if you want to waste your money. The cost of this product was about $16. Grreat price great value, great look.

I have been using this product on furniture I am building from reclaimed white oak. The first piece I built was during the winter, so I had to apply the finish in the basement. I would say this is low odour and fast drying.

Easy cleanup because it is water based. The clear finish did alter the colour of the wood, but that was too be expected and I am pleased with the results. Several months later I have bought another can for a third project.

The finish has been durable so far in rooms occupied by students.

This water based polyurethane does not have fumes and is very easy to apply. I sanded and waited more than the suggested time between coats. I was happy with the result; however, there are several scratches on the surface that were made just by placing objects on it (no pressure).

Unfortunately, I will need to sand everything again and I will probably apply an oil based polyurethane next time.

This was a good product but unfortunately due to user error I was unable to properly use it. I originally planned to use it to make glittered ornaments in replacement to poly acrylic but this is a satin finish.

At first the ornaments didn’t look as bright but after a couple of days of drying it worked out. Will do in a pinch but it’s better if you buy the glossy finish.

If you like shiny, tough, floors this is for you. Durable. Far more than others i”ve used.

I use it for furniture and I like the protection it gives it, easy to work with. Good water protection.

New York State forbids this product, they cancelled my order

Applies easily and looks great.

Good product