Thread: Solvent verus waterbased finish

I'm afraid that those discriptions don't tell me too much about what you are actually going to get as a product on your floor.

I would be asking both parties exactly what is the product they are going to use.

Brand and exact name. You could then get responses as to how well these products may perform.


Water based finish means just that its thinned with water. could be all sorts of material.

As for solvent finish that covers virtually every product that has a solvent in it from shellac to a 2 pack Polyurethane.

If we had the names of both products they are going to use we could then answer your questions as to

which is the hardest
what might happen to the colour of your wood.
whether it was available in gloss/satin or matt
and if it was possibly toxic when drying or somehow otherwise dangerous.

Originally Posted by durwood

I'm afraid that those discriptions don't tell me too much about what you are actually going to get as a product on your floor.

I would be asking both parties exactly what is the product they are going to use.

Brand and exact name. You could then get responses as to how well these products may perform.


Water based finish means just that its thinned with water. could be all sorts of material.

As for solvent finish that covers virtually every product that has a solvent in it from shellac to a 2 pack Polyurethane.

If we had the names of both products they are going to use we could then answer your questions as to

which is the hardest
what might happen to the colour of your wood.
whether it was available in gloss/satin or matt
and if it was possibly toxic when drying or somehow otherwise dangerous.

See - this is why I ask my stupid questions here - I am protected by anonymity!

Will find out the products and get back!

Most good quality water bourne Polyurethanes cost more in material than regulaer solvent based polys. As a example 20 lt of a single pack swolvent based moisture curing poly from a trade supplier costs aprox $140. the coverage is aprox 12m2 per litre. So 20 lt should get about 240 m2 worth of coverage. or $1.71 per m2. Some quality water bourne polys such as synteko, toby and some others can cost up to $200 plus for 10 litres. you still get about the same coverage . It is about 4 times dearer than oils or solvent based poly. The difference is that with current technoligies, Water bourne products are close if not equal in durability to solvent based polys. I just used a water bourne product called Toby aquamax comercial (2 pac) on the coin production room at the Royal Aust Mint in canberra, and the next day they drove a forklift across it with out damaging it. I was stunned at the strength of the product. I now prefer water bourne to Solvent based product. But i do give my clients the option. It is best if you ask your contractor the name of the proposed product and let us know so you can be sure of a quality product.