I don’t know why I’m writing another post about my floors. Probably because it’s been the dark shadow of my existence for the past month until it was recently fixed.
I’m in a much better place now.
In the past 6 months (2 months longer than expected), I have learned a lot through my renovation mistakes. My flooring fiasco is definitely the one that has caused me the most grief.
In my last post, I mentioned that I wanted to capture the beautiful tone of freshly-sanded white oak. I chose the Bona DriFast stain in Birch because it seemed like the best option (of all of the swatches.)
Well, that was lesson #1. Don’t use a stain if you want natural floors.
Lesson #2. Alway listen to your GUT. I really kicked myself for this one. When the flooring contractor my GC used swatched the stains for me, there were some things that should have given me pause.
For instance, the white stain looked horrendous on my floors. I should have known then that their application of stain was too heavy for my taste.
Exhibit 1, see #1
I had other misgivings that I just swept aside because I was so focused on moving the project forward.
Lesson #3. If you don’t like something, stop work immediately. It will NOT get better. I was immediately disappointed after the stain was applied.
It didn’t look like the swatch that was pictured. (I think I could have lived with that.) Instead, it looked like there was a hazy, muddy film over the entire floor. What I hated most was how it covered up the beautiful grain patterns of the wood.
But, for whatever reason, I thought it would look better after it was finished.
I now know that I was in denial.
Two coats of Bona Traffic HD later was a much costlier mistake to fix.
After a lot of angst and grief – because it’s hard to justify refinishing newly finished floors! – I ultimately decided that I would not be able to live with the flooring choices I made.
I scoured the web for the look that I was trying to achieve. I read countless forum posts and blog posts and reviews but I couldn’t find a satisfactory answer.
I finally made a trip to my hardwood flooring supplier and posed the same dilemma. The manager immediately recommended a new product – Loba 2K Invisible Protect AT. He showed me a sample in the store and I was ecstatic.
In the meantime, I also found my own flooring contractor. (I’ll happily give a shout out to Valenti Flooring here.)
They were completely professional to work with and I never doubted their competency. The co-owners, Julia and Phil Valenti, were also far more patient when dealing with me and answering my numerous questions.
Lesson #4. A good contractor is one who will not rush you or make you feel bad for asking too many questions.
This is true of my general contractor. Not true of the sub that he used.
So, the big re-do finally came and I was able to see the new swatches.
From the left: 1) Bona NaturalSeal 2) Bona NordicSeal 3) Bona DriFast White and 4) Loba 2K Invisible Protect AT
The first thing that popped out at me. DOES ANYONE NOTICE WHAT THE WHITE STAIN IS SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE?!
The Bona NaturalSeal is what Valenti Flooring usually recommends for people who are looking for a natural tone.
The forums I read suggested Bona NordicSeal.
But Loba 2K Invisible Protect AT was pure magic.
The foreman from Valenti Flooring said he had never used the product before but that he was seriously impressed. It looked exactly like the natural floors! No tone change. Nothing.
Going forward, this is the product he plans to recommend to clients who are looking for the freshly-sanded look.
And now I’m going to bombard you with before (with Bona Birch stain) and after (with Loba 2k Invisible Protect AT) pictures.
The master bedroom had the biggest transformation. It originally looked like there was an oil slick in the middle of the floor. I was told that this was caused by the “lighting.”
The floors in Alexa’s room look so much livelier and brighter. I love the natural beauty of wood and the stain completely covered it up.
I’m glad that there is a contrast between the floors and kitchen cabinets now.
The view into the dining area. This after picture is making the floors looking a lot redder for some reason. You can take my word for it when I say that the floors look less red and even better in person.
A close-up shot after 1 coat of finish. This product is truly amazing.
I had to push our construction timeline back one month because of the flooring situation. I am happy to say that we are now back on track and will be done by the end of this month. I seriously can’t wait for this to be over!
UPDATE 02/20/2018 #1: I have been living with this finish for almost five months now. While I still absolutely love the look and feel of my floors, I can’t recommend it – especially for kitchen/dining room use. Anytime oily food is dropped on the floor, the oil goes right through the finish and stains the wood. This occurs even if the food is picked up and the floor is wiped immediately.
As you can imagine, this is a frequent occurrence in our family of two young kids.
I am additionally disappointed because, over the last three months, I have reached out to the Loba manufacturer via phone and e-mail multiple times regarding this issue. I have given them ample time and opportunity to address this problem and answer my only question – whether this is a known issue with the Loba 2K Invisible Protect AT.
I have failed to receive any direct response on this matter and, as such, can no longer recommend this product or company.
UPDATE 04/02/2018 #2: After I let Loba know about the previous update, I received the following response:
Oil spotting is only possible when the coats of finish are applied too thin or if abraded too aggressively between coats (particularly when using a 2 coat system).
Please understand that we manufacture the finish but do not contract the application of it or have control over those that apply our product. It is our hope that those contractors will respond to their customers (you) when there is a concern. Unfortunately the contractor that worked on your floor is not responding to either of us. And unfortunately we cannot force them to do so.
It turns out that the reason I had such a difficult time in getting a response was partially because they were trying to speak with my flooring contractor first, to no avail.
After this happened – here, I have to give credit where credit is due – Loba agreed to make things right for me. I acknowledge that they are under no obligation to do so as it would appear that the finish was applied incorrectly. However, Loba is contracting with a reputable flooring contractor who will refinish my floors (again!) and properly apply three coats of Loba.
I want to add that I was originally told by the Loba representative that only two coats of the Loba 2K Invisible Protect AT were necessary. However, that recommendation has now changed to three coats because:
We have recently had a number of similar complaints to your own, so we have realized that contractors will use and do as they please, regardless of manufacturers’ recommendations, and then try to blame the product or, in this case, not address the issue at all. So we have decided to get in front of the issue and just say apply 3 coats and then the issues are not issues at all and the finish performs as advertised.
I really have to commend Loba on how they are handling my situation. I will update this post after my floors have been refinished and I truly hope that I can continue to recommend Loba as before.
UPDATE 05/07/18 #3: My floors were finished a week ago and I can already tell that there’s a significant difference. Previously, even water would stain the wood until it evaporated. I thought all of this was normal. Apparently, it’s not.
In case anyone thinks I was exaggerating, this is an example of the many oil stains I was dealing with.
Now, water wipes up easily without leaving any marks and SO FAR NO OIL STAINS. I know it might be a little early to jump to any conclusions but from the second I walked on the floors, I already knew the floors were much better protected. The planks used to feel like raw wood under my feet, now they are silky smooth and rock hard. There is a bit more sheen than before but that’s not an issue for me. I was more concerned about preserving the tone and color of the wood and that has been beautifully accomplished. I dare say the look of it is even better than before!!
I didn’t think I could love my floors more. Apparently, I can. Sans oil stains.
I hope that my experience can be a lesson to others. The first contractor I went with clearly cut corners in applying the product. It was also their first time using Loba 2K Invisible Protect AT. I don’t know if two coats of finish would have achieved the same result, when applied properly. But having three coats of finish gives me total peace of mind.
The contractor who refinished my floors was one of the flooring contractors recommended by Loba. If you are interested in using this product, I would highly suggest that you contact Loba directly to ask for a list of recommended and reputable flooring contractors.
And don’t be like me. Get it done right the first time. With that being said, I’m am so over this saga. I never want to think about refinishing my floors again.
Thank you, Loba, for going above and beyond and giving me the most amazing floors. I’m sorry I ever doubted you.
Absolutely beautiful floors
What do you think of the new floors? Was it worth the trouble I went through to achieve it??
Did you still use Bona Traffic after you put down the Loba 2K Invisible Protect AT? Thanks!
I only used Loba. The finish is really so natural and beautiful. However, after a few months of living with my floors, I’m not sure I would recommend this finish – especially in the kitchen. I have found that oil stains sink into the wood and can’t be removed. When I tried to contact the manufacturer, they refused to tell me if this is a common problem and have since stopped responding to my inquiries.
Hello there ,
I would like to add that I had my floors done with Bona Traffic 2 years ago, and I have the same issues with the stains in the floor from baby food. We have to clean immediately the food from the floors or we have a oily stain. I had asked Bona some questions about the oils penetrating the varnish but the answers were very vague. “We don’t know what your contractor did?”
I think water base polyurethane all have same issues, especially no sheen ones.
I think Loba is much easier to apply and grate results. Bona is more available.
Thanks for your time and you have amazing floors.
Hi i do struggle with my floors as well!! I sanded oak floors to natural. The color your reached as a grayish is by the Loba 2k invisible protect act only?
and it sells with a hardner?? did you used the hardner as well a=nd what finish did you use.
Thanks so much for sharing i was really lost!!
Thanks again
That stinks. I think I’ll go Bona Nordic and Traffic HD, thanks for the response and great post!
Chris – Did you go with the nordic? I was surprised by the above samples as I would have expected the nordic to be whiter than Loba… was wondering if they used one coat of Nordic in the pic above? It recommends 2 to 3 coats so perhaps it would be whiter then.
Chris,
Are you happy with your floors? I’m considering this same combination. Thank you for any help.
Thanks so much for sharing! I now plan on having three coats of Loba applied instead of two.
I’m glad I can save even one person from the trouble I’m going through! Here’s hoping three coats does the trick!
I was so hopeful when reading the beginning of your post – I am in the same dilemma as you were, trying to find a “stain” or something to keep the beautiful color of my white oak floors. Sigh. Going to try and get a sample and hopefully can see if the 3 coats do the “oil stain” trick. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Hi Jane, I will update my post soon but my floors were refinished last week and, so far, it’s better than I expected!! No water/oil stains. Nothing. NOW I know how this product is supposed to perform.
Jane, I just updated my post. I can recommend this product, with no reservations, when it is applied correctly. I also attached pictures of my refinished floors – hopefully it’s what you are looking for!
Your floors are gorgeous! I am meeting with my floor guy this week and will talk to him about this product. Just to be a nit-picker, you still have the stain on your floors? I do need to thank you for the “no stain” route – I stupidly thought all floors needed to be stained! I know now more than I want to know about finishing hardwood floors! Also, the Loba product is waterborne? My contractor (this is a new build) keeps pushing me toward oil stains and finishes – he even talked about tung oil. Sigh. I am going to stick to my gut! Thanks again!
Thank you! I’m really in love too! Feel free to ask questions – I’m more than happy to save people from going through the aggravation I went through. So 1) my current floors have zero stain, zero sealer. Just three coats of Loba Invisible 2K Protect AT; 2) Loba is a waterbourne polyurethane finish; 3) 100,000% stay away from an oil based polyurethane finish if you want to preserve the color of your white oak. I believe an oil-based stain is OK but an oil-based poly will cause ambering, which will only worsen over time. I can’t really comment on tung oil since I didn’t look into it much but it’s my understanding that tung oil may amber the wood as well. Contractors will push you towards what they are comfortable using. You’ll have to stand your ground!
You have been amazingly helpful! Thank you so much. Another question, is the finish extremely “matte”? In your pictures, it looks as if you have somewhat of a “sheen”. I was reading up on the Loba product and some people feel it is too “matte” to their liking, and a couple of flooring people suggested a final coat of Loba Supra AT in “satin” for more of a sheen. I think my husband would probably prefer a “shine”, but I don’t want too glossy a finish. Again, love your floors and, yes, it was worth the trouble you went through! The herringbone is to die for! Thanks again.
The floors are not what I would think “extremely” matte would look like. (Keep in mind, though, I’m not an expert on different matte levels!) There is definitely more of a sheen now than before. But I actually love the sheen – it is very soft and subtle and has a nice shine when the sunlight hits it. If anything, my floors probably used to look a little too dull!
Don’t insult contractors. You are a layperson. You do something once in a lifetime. They might do it 10 times a week. You are not trained. You have no experience. You read forums written by others with no experience. You don’t even have a clue about the technical issues behind the issues you are writing about. Basically, you put another coat of finish on and you are a little happier. Knock off the holier-than-thou, know-it-all approach and find good contractors who know their trade.
Actually, the last contractor who came also told me that the prior contractor did a terrible job so it’s not just my layperson assessment. Also, he did not just put another coat of finish on. He had to sand the floors down and removed all prior finish before applying three new layers of finish.
Stating that the contractor improperly applied the finish such that oil stains would go straight into the wood is not an insult. Not sure why you are personally offended by my relaying of the facts of the situation. And the last contractor was an excellent contractor who did know his trade so credit is given when it’s deserved.
Love that you posted your experience and this comment is super helpful as I wondered about the recommended primer or sealer and if it your contractor or Loba recommends it helps to prevent stains?
Has the 3 coats held up? We are currently planning to refinish our floors and have kids so just want to make sure it makes sense! Thank you
Mine wasnt applied correctly either!!! The contractor claims he completed two coats but i don’t believe it! A LOT of $$ wasted for unprotected floors
Your blog on this is so helpful, thank you! I would like to get white oak floors with the most natural finish possible. In the final picture you posted, your floor seems to have taken on a little bit of a grey tint- it’s very pretty but I was hoping to keep mine in the tan color. Is that maybe just the lighting.
Hi Yvette, the tone changes based on what type of sunlight hits it. The last picture is northern-facing with my front door open so it has a slightly greyish tone. In the south-facing rooms, it definitely looks warmer and probably much more like that natural tan you are looking for.
Thank you for this inordinately helpful post. We’re just about to refinish our white oak floors and this seems the route we want to go. But, just to be absolutely sure: I’ve scoured the Loba websites and literature, and everything they publish (online, at least) states very clearly that they recommend 2 coats of the 2K Invisible Protect (with intermediate sanding between each), not 3. Do you think it was actually in the number of coats applied that your original contractor made the defining mistake, or could it have been something else (wrong grit sand paper? too thin in the application?)?
Hi GD, I’m so glad you found my post helpful! Loba originally recommended 2 coats, and this was confirmed by their Northeast representative, who I spoke to personally prior to making my decisions. HOWEVER, I’m assuming their 2 coat recommendation is only sufficient when the contractor makes no errors in application.
My first contractor most likely applied the product too thinly. In contrast, the second contractor was very experienced with Loba products so I am sure they applied each coat sufficiently. I’ve found that three coats have been perfect. At the very least, it’s given me complete peace of mind.
I should add that my second contractor also spent A LOT more time on the sanding process so I’m sure that helped the floors to turn out FLAWLESS.
Finally, I love responding to comments since I’ve gotten my floor refinished because it just reminds me how awesome my floors still are! 🙂
Hello, thanks for this post it’s so very helpful as we are now facing the same issue. Was wondering how things are holding up now that it’s been a few years? Many thanks, Shaila
Getting ready to finish my floors and was recommended to use Rubio Monocoat to achieve the same exact look you have achieved. Just came across your post but noticed it was fromn2018. I am now considering using Loba but wondering if after 3 years if your finish is still holding up as it did well as it did in 2018?
Im redoing red oak stair treads and looking at Rubio Monocoat too. What did you go with?
I love the color of unfinished white oak floors. You have a great handle on this idea, thank you.
Hi M2M, our contractor also recommended Loba, which is why I’m here, reading your post. What I am left wondering, however, is if your last (Loba) contractor added a 3rd coat of 2K Invisible Protect AT, or a coat of another Loba product, such as the WS 2K Supra polyurethane finish. 2K Invisible Protect AT is meant to leave the wood feeling “natural/raw”, with a natural/matte look, which you properly describe as being given by the initial two coats. After the third coat, however, you describe the feeling as “silky smooth and rock hard, with “more sheen”. It is hard for me to understand how a 3rd coat of 2K Invisible Protect AT would make such a difference, though a coat of another finish (e.g., the WS 2K Supra) certainly would. Are you certain the last contractor simply added another coat of 2K Invisible Protect? Thanks!
Hi Bob, that’s an excellent theory but I just confirmed with my contractor that all three coats used were 2K Invisible Protect AT!
Thanks for taking the time to check – hope it is holding up well!
Did anyone say anything about the floor yellowing over time? A typical natural stain on white oak from what I understand does yellow over time.
It’s my understanding that waterborne polyurethane will not yellow or, at the very least, will not yellow as significantly as oil-based polyurethane. All I can say is that, so far, I have had no issues with yellowing at all.
We have white oak floors sanded and trying to decide on finish. Do you consider just natural wax? When they scratch from kids/dogs you can just lightly sand and re-wax. Also, from quite a few of your pictures it looks like you have red oak and not white oak. Maybe it’s just the lighting?
I did take a look at natural wax but, in the end, I felt that it was just more maintenance than I wanted to deal with. And I definitely have white oak floors, I purchased the lumber myself!
I have red birch hardwood floors that I am getting ready to refinish and am looking for the more natural, not yellow finish they currently have. Were your floors white oak? Do you think the Loba product would work on all types of hard wood to preserve their natural color and not yellow?
Thanks for your post! Helped us decide to go with 3 coats of Loba invisible. Contractor was blown away as he had never used and his other clients want it now. 3 weeks in and still look/feel wonderful. Really glad we went natural on refinished white oak versus Swedish finish product. Maybe will regret down the road based on durability but so far so good with kids and dog and have a couple of extra gallons if we need to lay an extra coat in a few years. Thanks again for the hot tip!
It’s been a couple months now and still no issues whatsoever. I also looked into the Swedish finish but I have no regrets with using Loba which aired out after only a few days. We have young kids at home so that makes a world of difference!
Kevin, How are the floors holding up?
Hello all,
Just wanted to follow up to say that we have now refinished our floors following M2M’s guidelines (no primer, 3 coats of Loba 2k Invisible Protect) and the results are stunning. Interesting enough, when we sanded off the existing dark stain, we realized our floors were red oak instead of white. No matter, the finish still looks terrific, exactly what we wanted. (After initial sanding, we also revealed numerous pet urine stains that had been hidden by the dark stain, which we had to repair by weaving in new hardwood… but that’s a story for another blog…).
My question now is: what is the protocol for cleaning these floors. I suspect you’d want to steer clear of certain products (Murphy’s oil soap, for example). But even for day to day cleaning, to pick up dust, footprints, etc, I’m wondering what folks recommend.
Thanks!
GD
Thank you for updating!! I’m so glad it came out well because I know that feeling of seeing the floors for the first time and it’s the best!
We keep our floors incredibly clean because we spend A LOT of time sitting on the floor with ours kids. This is how we maintain our floors:
1. No shoes indoors, slippers/sock/barefeet only.
2. Every other day Roomba (a.k.a. vacuum)
3. Wipe down regularly with microfiber cloth and warm water in major traffic areas (kitchen, under dining table, foyer, etc.)
4. Spot clean with microfiber cloth or handheld vacuum, as needed
5. Mop the entire floor with a microfiber mop and warm water, 1-2 times monthly
I did buy the Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner, but with daily maintenance, have not yet felt the need to use it.
Hi gd, would you mind sharing pictures? I have red oak and would like to see how it looks!
Do you have any pictures you could share of the red oak floors used with this finish? I would love to see it because that is what we have.
Hi! Thanks for this! We have used Loba extensively and love it! My husband is a woodworker and used it in his shop (2 coats properly applied) and it holds up even in that tough environment. We do have some poorly finished floors (before we knew of Loba) that also have oil stains from food falling on them. I was curious if you were able to remove the oil stains from your floors? Did your new contractor only apply the third coat or did they sand down everything and start again applying three coats?
Unfortunately the floors had to be completely sanded down to get out the stains. But the end results were completely worth it!
Sold on the loba but where did u get the actual white oak FLOORING? Thanks!
If you are located in Long Island, I used Gold Coast Flooring and they were fantastic. My flooring contractor even thanked me for making their jobs easier because all the planks were completely straight. They are also the ones that recommended Loba when I told them the look I was going for!
Hi, we recently bought a house that was finished with Loba Oil (red oak/ white finish). Gorgeous. Of course, 2 years in, we have some oil stains and i tried to get out marker with a clorox wipe, leaving a white streak :(. I know Gold Coast did the original application of the Loba Oil and installed the wood floors. would you recommend using Gold Coast to fix these issues? We are located on LI. Also, do you think it is practical to have the high traffic areas re-sanded and apply a 3rd coat, or could they spot treat areas?thanks!!
I thought Gold Coast was a great supplier – the planks were all amazing quality. However, I wasn’t even aware that they are installers as well. I think your best bet is to speak with several installers to get their on site opinion.
One thing I do know is that once you have an oil stain on your floor, you won’t be able to get it out without sanding it down. I was told that my oil stains couldn’t be spot treated and my floors had to be completely refinished.
Mommy to Max: How are they holding up? Both in staining and scratch/dent resistance?
They are still holding up great! No issues with staining whatsoever. Scratch/dent resistance is excellent as well. We only refinished the floors on our main level and the difference between proper and improper application is like night and day.
We are just finishing up on the installation of our white oak floors . We have the rustic flooring with lots of knots cracks ect. Do you think this parody will work for us? We both love what it looks like now an don’t want it to change color.
I’m sorry but this question is outside of my experience. I think your best bet is speaking with a flooring supplier that sells Loba. My flooring supplier is the one who recommended this product to me in the first place!
Dawn, Please share your final choices? I have the same questions.
Hi and thank yo so much for sharing. Im trying to decide between Loba Invisible and bona NordicSeal. I like the natural look of white oak but I also want some sheen. In your stain samples NordicSeal looks very similar to Loba and I would be able to apply a satin HD traffic finish. Gosh, I need to decide by tomorrow. My contractor said that I will only get a 5% reflection with Loba and that it will almost have no sheen. Is loba too dull? Would you have been happy with NordicSeal with a satin finish? What were your reasons for not choosing NordicSeal? Thanks!!!!
Hi Than, I really can’t remember why I didn’t go with the NordicSeal anymore. I was researching and reading a ton of reviews and opinions at that time and, after comparing Bona and Loba, my gut told me to go with Loba.
With that being said, I’m not a sheen expert but my floors definitely appear to have a nice subtle sheen to me. On the second floor, where only two coats of Loba was incorrectly applied, it looks completely flat. I’m talking about a straight up unfinished wood look. I liked it until I had a better comparison and it’s not been wearing well over time. However, on the main floor where I reapplied three coats of Loba, the floors are truly beautiful with a soft sheen!
Hi Than!
I am in the same boat as you. I love no shine, but am nervous that the floors will look to flat/dull with Loba. What did you wind up going with?!
Thank you 🙂
I noticed in your photo comparing the bona seal line and lobo. That the far left piece of tape mentions bona regular traffic but in the photo name it’s labeled as bona natural seal. Can you clarify which one it is. Thanks for the post?
I believe it was the Bona Traffic Naturale. But, to be honest, it’s been quite some time and I can’t be 100% sure! So it’s either the Bona Traffic Naturale or just Bona Traffic.
Dear M2M. I have just purchased new 3/4″ x 5″ white oak flooring. In your pictures some shots make the white oak look a bit yellowy or red, but I want to make sure I’m avoiding any yellow color and only having white, brown, grey, etc. Because I can’t see them in real life, I’m wondering how you would characterize the color of your floors other than “natural”. Is there yellow at all?
Hi DDB, that’s really a tricky question to answer! The reason being that brown can also be made up of yellow and red tones. In addition, white oak naturally has soft yellow tones in it. All I can say is that Loba has preserved the natural tones and quality of the white oak that I found to be very beautiful. If you are looking for only white/grey tones, you may need to whitewash your floors!
Also a mommy to Max (and Claire). Thank you so much for this post!!! It has solved our 8 week white oak floor stain dilemma!
I love your name choices! 🙂 And I’m happy I was able to help. Hope you love how your floors turn out!
We just did our new white oak quartersawn floors with the Loba Invisible — absolutely love it. Questions, though, for best recommendations on cleaning and on scratch repair?
I can’t really comment on scratch repair as that is not something I’ve dealt with yet. As for cleaning, I posted the below response to another reader:
We keep our floors incredibly clean because we spend A LOT of time sitting on the floor with our kids. This is how we maintain our floors:
1. No shoes indoors, slippers/sock/barefeet only.
2. Every other day Roomba (a.k.a. vacuum)
3. Wipe down regularly with microfiber cloth and warm water in major traffic areas (kitchen, under dining table, foyer, etc.)
4. Spot clean with microfiber cloth or handheld vacuum, as needed
5. Mop the entire floor with a microfiber mop and warm water, 1-2 times monthly
Oh I wish I read this post a week ago! I was in the same dilemma. I Initially thought of going with dark walnut but fell in love with fresh sanded floors. We had ‘new’ tight wood and 1940’s white oak with gaping. My choices was ‘ white stain’ and walnut. The contractor said dark would work best to make floor seamless and uniformed. But in my heart I LOVED the natural color. I think maybe if I have know of Loba and this post I would have tried it. I’m still sad about not having the natural look.
I think dark walnut is a beautiful color. I find that it gives a more classic and elegant feel to a home. My friends restained their entire floor in dark walnut and I thought it looked amazing! Enjoy your floors and if you ever choose to refinish in ten years you can change them then! 🙂
Thank You for Your post. I wonder did anyone of people visiting this side has finished a birch
wood with Loba invisible? May I please for pics? I will be grateful. I consider Loba invisible for birch wood. My mail katarzynajustynakowalska@gmail.com
Thanks for this post! Seriously, I’ve been in flooring hell lately, and I see that you can relate! My stain samples are going down today on my new white oak floors. I know now what to ask them to sample for me. The question I am having is the following… how do you like the smooth floors? Are they durable, are they scratching from chairs, kids, dropped toys, etc…? We have a laid back household with 4 kids and a dog. I’m trying to decide between smooth matte floors, or a light light hand scrape with a matte finish. Any advice???
Hi Krista, I actually love the smooth matte floors! My two kids are HARD on the floors so, over time, we’ve had a handful of dents and scratches. Still, you have to look really hard to be able to see anything. I’m sure a hand scraped matte finish would look amazing as well but I have zero complaints with my floors.
What did you end up doing with your floors?
Always use a plant based oil. WOCA is the best of the best.
Because if your awesome post I just put three coats of Loba on new white oak floors. It looks pretty shiny but it’s only need a day. Does the matte take a while to register as the floor dries out? Did you notice a big difference after a few days? Thanks!
Hi Dee, how did your floors turn out? I had my floors done while on vacation so I didn’t get to see it on a day to day basis. My floors definitely aren’t shiny so I’m hoping it’s better now!
I cannot believe I’ve found your blog. Again, just at the right time for another person.
I have made white oak cabinets and LOVE LOVE LOVE the cream and tan look of it. I’ve been using Exterior, Flat, Latex DARK paint base, because it dries so invisible (and matte, of course) that you can’t tell there’s a finish. Just gorgeous, raw looking white oak. But, I’ve hesitated about using it on my floors because of durability. Was going to test out oil dark paint base, but then, … oil.
What you’ve shown here, though, is that Loba 2K Invisible Protect AT is the thing to try. I’m going to contact them to see what they think of a finish over a latex base. Or I’ll just sand the crap out of my cabinets and start over. After all, I made them!
Thanks so very much for documenting this. That is THE reason I haven’t finished anything: Loss of gorgeous white oak color and (grrrr) ambering. No -urathane products in MY life!
I know it’s unlikely to get a response two years out, but Christine, can you comment on how you finish your white oak cabinets? We have white oak floors (and thank you for the fantastic post on how to finish them!!) but we also have white oak cabients my husband is building. Any natural finish advise on those would be appreciated!! 🙂
What size are your boards?
4″ rift and quarter sawn white oak!
Thank you for sharing from your experience! We also have white oak floors that we’re trying to update to a more modern finish and your post is so thorough that I feel better prepared to consider our finish. Sorry it’s been such a rocky road, but I admire your persistence in getting it right!
Bless you !!!!! You have helped me.
Hi! How have the floors been holding up? Still no issues with water or oil stains? We are 3 weeks out from finishing our floors. I’m so nervous! I love the dark walnut look, but it shows every single speck of dust. I’ve the natural wood look too. Just so worried they won’t hokd up well over time. Our entire main floor is white oak floors. So would you still recommend this process you did?
The floors are still going strong. It’s held up well even in our kitchen area – we wipe up oil with zero staining issues.
There are definitely some minor dents and scratches but only if you look very, very carefully. I imagine that any finish would show some wear with two young kids at home. Overall I still think they look amazing and I’m pretty anal.
I need to finish my White Oak floors, and read your post. Its now November 2020, how are they holding up? Any yellowing/Amber effect on them?
I still love them! So much in fact that I am currently having my bedroom level floors redone by the same company with 3 layers of Loba. Now the entire house will finally match.
Hi M2M! Your article has been truly helpful. I am based in NJ and was wondering if you could share the contact details of your Loba certified contractor that redid your floors? We are looking to get our floors refinished and hope to work with someone who has experience with Loba products.
I never respond to blogs I read off of pinterest.. but I HAVE to thank you! I’m renovating and luckily the whole house has white oak (previously stained dark) and I’ve laced new white oak into the old where need be. I’m a little worried the stain will look different on the old verses the new..the flooring guys said that dark would hide the differences between the old and new. (they are sanding everything so I’m not sure why it would be different..hmmm?) Anyway, they are sanding now and will start the staining process this Tuesday. I still haven’t chosen a stain and have been up researching endlessly for weeks trying to find something that will keep the unstained white oak look.. I’m SO thankful you are so detailed and have documented everything so incredibly well! THANK YOU!! SUPER nervous to present this product to my flooring team. Wish me luck!!!
Brilliant finish. Well done for sticking with it
Timing is perfect to read your post and comments! My own renovation has new white oak floors throughout the first floor, ready to be sanded, bleached and finished to look pale and natural. This product looks perfect. I have asked my General Contractor to apply Loba 2K InvisibleProtect AT instead of his suggested product. Sharing your experience has saved me a lot of heartache going forward. Thank you!
Good luck and I’d love to hear about how it turned out for you!
Hi, thanks for your post. We have just had the Loba invisible put on our boards and we love the look but the finish feels oily, a bit rough and it is showing every foot print?? Were yours like that before they had been fixed up? Ta
That’s not my experience at all! I NEVER see foot points (we walk around barefoot all the time) and the finish was/is incredibly smooth. I hate to say it but your contractor may not have applied it properly…
Even with the first contractor I used, it was never oily. But it was rough and almost exactly like raw wood.
Hi, when you had it re-done did they have to sand it again as well or just put the extra coat on it? I have rung Loba and they said to give it a couple of washes with their special spray mop and see how it is, but I don’t think that will fix the roughish surface I said about applying another coat and they said no, that def shouldn’t be necessary! So confused and a bit frustrated!
So excited to have found this blog! Our 4 1/4 white oak floors are being sanded tomorrow. I was leaning towards the Bona Naturale, until I came across your post. It sounds like you are very happy with Loba so far. Is there a reason you didn’t choose Bona Naturale? Thanks!
I went directly to the wood floor supplier and asked him what was the best finish I could get to have my white oak floors look natural and this was the product he recommended. I also read a lot of reviews comparing Bona and Loba. While Bona is a great and popular product, it seemed like a lot of contractors who had experience with both (as opposed to only Bona) preferred Loba.
I just want to add that I think it’s important the flooring contractor has experience with Loba. The first contractor I used that applied Loba had a great reputation for Bona products but it was their first time applying Loba and they did an inadequate job.
I’m just reading your post for the first time. I was excited because I am actually using Valenti Flooring! But then I kept reading and see that they did not do a good job for you. Do you think it was just the number of coats they applied?
So when I spoke with Phil Valenti, he assured me they would have no issues working with Loba. However, on the day of, the foreman told me he had never worked with Loba before. I think what ended up happening was they applied it the same way they would have applied Bona and it just did not turn out well. If you plan to use Bona, I don’t think you’ll have issues with Valenti. Otherwise, I would tread carefully.
Did you receive any feedback from your contractor who correctly applied the loba on what needs to be done differently than applying it? Other than 3 coats vs two- are there any tips/ tricks for a first time user? My contractor has not applied it before. How are yours holding up? Have you had to do any touch ups since?
The contractor who applied it properly emphasized proper sanding technique. He said that sanding the wood correctly and well was the most important step. Just make sure that he follows the instructions and steps provided by Loba.
My floors and finish is still holding up great. No touchups needed yet but it’s only been a year and half so I’d also hope not!
I live in NYC and am renovating a prewar townhouse. Almost all prewar floors here are red oak, traditionally finished with a butterscotch stain. In my first reno (a 1-bedroom coop), a guy named Carlos refinished my floors and I ended up using a nice stain that made the floors look more like walnut. I had toyed with the idea of sealing with no stain, but online research showed me that red oak will always have a slight orangey-pink tone that I don’t like at all. Fast-forward to the present – I sold that apartment and am now renovating a 2-family townhouse that had no salvageable hardwood floor (the original flooring was wood plank subfloor). So this time I’m going with white oak, probably 3.5″ plank. I’m looking forward to forgoing the stain this time! Natural white oak is so pretty and I feel like dark stains have had their moment. Loved your photos! Thanks for sharing your story. Renovations are always a saga!
I was wondering how did the process of applying the selaer TOOK? We are done with installation but need sanding and then the Loba. How long does it take to dry, can you walk on it at thanks!!
Can I ask what grade your floors are?
I believe it was select.
Hi there. Thanks for such an in depth review. When you had the floors re done, did the contractor do three new coats, or just an additional coat to the original two? Sorry if that’s a dumb question.
Hi Jimmy, the contractor completely sanded everything down and applied three new coats. The oil stains couldn’t be removed otherwise.
Having the same problems with our Loba finished floors. Water spots constantly. Traffic patterns on the floors give a glossy/oil-like appearance and nothing fixes them. Contractor says all of that is normal! Loba claims they have no control and offer no help or guidance. So disappointed and beyond frustrated with our floors
I am sorry to hear that but I believe it is due to improper application of the finish.
Hi Mommy to Max! Thanks for the post. We are considering Bona Naturale and Loba. Can you share how the floors have held up now that they have been refinished correctly with the Loba product for a year? Thank you so much!
Thx for the blog. In case folks want options I can vouch for 2 coats Bona Nordic seal with 2 coats Bona High traffic COMMERCIAL poly in matte for 100% flat natural look.
Would you be able to share any pictures?
can you share photos?
Well. I’ll just throw myself into the ring as well to say thanks. Had quite the battle with my contractor over our floors. They told me it was impossible to keep the white oak looking raw and natural and, having seen them before, I felt like I was being treated like a crazy person. I knew I was being pressured into a decision I didn’t want.
Thankfully I stumbled upon this post in my frantic, last-minute research and we picked up some Loba Invisible Protect and the floors look great. Exactly as I’d hoped. Of course, the contractor did not listen and applied three coats all in the same day – we have a tiny apartment so I guess it was possible. No intermediary sanding and, while it looks great, there are some splotches here and there. The whole renovation has been such a battle that I am…fine with it. So, I will be interested to see how it holds up. Fingers crossed!
Thanks again. This post was really a life-saver!
I’m so happy to know I was able to help. It was a long search for this finish but it’s exactly what I wanted and I still love it!!
Also a life saver for me. My installer installed red oak, even though he knew I wanted a white-washed look. White on red oak looks awful (PINK!!!). I thought my only option would be to go for a darker color for my bedroom, but I hated this idea. I am so encouraged by your blog, because the bare red oak looks pale and beautiful. So maybe there is hope after all.
I am just wondering if after 2 years the floor still looks as beautiful as it was when installed. Is this invisible product durable?
Thank you so much for posting this! I’m having the same experience with Loba 2K Invisible Protect and will have to have my floors refinished. Can you share the name of the floor finisher that applied it correctly? I’m in NYC and am hoping they could help. Thanks!
Hi Janine, I’m sorry to hear that you are having the same problems. It was so stressful until I finally had the floors refinished properly. I ended up using Allstate Flooring, the owner is Dimitry. He was also one of the flooring contractors recommended by the representative at Loba for applying their finish. Good luck!
I have to say, this blog was extremely helpful. Last year I searched for 8+ months trying to find a finish I liked for an addition we were building (which basically was something that would leave my white oak floors looking very close to the unfinished look). Then I came across this blog and it was exactly what I was looking for – something that looked natural and wouldn’t ‘yellow’ over time. I made sure my contractor went to the lobo site and watched how to do the application – in addition to requesting they do 3 coats (per your suggestion) I also requested they use the applicator Lobo recommends. I could not be more thrilled w/the floors. I’ve even dropped an oil-based substance on them. I freaked out because it looked like it was going to stain the floor, even after I wiped it up, but a few hours later, once it fully dried, all oil was gone. Lobo protects the floor amazingly well w/3 coats and using the proper applicator AND it looks beautiful. In fact, my contractor redid his floors using Lobo and now highly recommends it to new clients. THANK YOU Mommy to Max for your relentless pursuit for the perfect finish and for posting your learnings for all of us!
So happy I found your blog. Made our decision so simple on what to do. We have white oak floors we are refinishing and wanted the natural look as well we will be going with Lobo 2k Invisible Protect. Can hardly wait to get it started. Thank you for sharing your hardwood floor journey .
Please share
In the process of refinishing some white oak floors. Love the natural look and was wondering did you use a sealer before the Loba. My contractor insists on the sealer. I told him I thought the 3 coats were what was recommended. Also do you have a contact number for the company? I’ve been unable to find a way to talk to a rep to help convince my contractor. thanks
I am glad I am not the only person who obsesses about their wood floor refinishing! I am scouring the internet looking for photos of floors using stain vs. natural finishes. I even considered Linseed Oil.
I just bought a condo built in 1920’s or earlier and the floors need repairs so they are doing that today. I have to decide on stain vs no stain as fast as I can. I’ve had plenty of time but this virus outbreak put a damper on visiting stores to look at actual wood products. I was even going to buy a plank of wood and some sample stains so I can see what to do. I don’t know what type of wood the oak is…how do you know if it’s white or red oak? This is an old Chicago building.
Did the white oak turn orangy at all over time? Especially the areas exposed to direct sunlight? My white oak floors have become very orange tinted. It’s expecially notiable when I move furniture or pull back the rug. They were coated with a clear UV type poly, unfortunately, I don’t know the brand. We’re ready to redo the floors, looking for clearish greyish color that won’t go to orange.
Loba offers a uv protector. I’m not sure how it works?
Hi, i’m about to pull the trigger and use loba 2k invisible on my 1600sf of white oak floors that are getting refinished. Everyone happy with this after the correct application of 3 coats? Just want to make sure. THANKS
I am getting ready to do the same. The wood is acclimating now in our cabin.
we used loba over a year ago and have two very busy young children and a great dane…. we LOVE it and everyone comments on the beauty! I’ve not had any trouble keeping it clean! Enjoy
I went to get the Loba and the salesman says The Easyfinish is all I need?
Thank you for this post! In middle of getting floors done and now I know to definitely ask our guy about doing THREE coats!
Thank you for your post. I spent hours research and talking with people. Your post was the most helpful!!! My floors are finally in and they look great!!! We chose the wire brush white oak and wanted a natural finish. Where it was a wire brush we couldn’t sand as much. There were also knots that needed to be filled. They had to sand after filling and use a toothbrush looking wire brush to keep the wire brush look around the filled holes.
I didn’t go with Easy Finish I went with 2K Supra Satin. The dealer told me I didn’t need to spend that much money and Easy-finish was all I needed. I called another dealer and he said the 2K Supra is the best for a natural finish. I also wanted something that was going to last a long time. It’s worth the extra money knowing I am getting the best.
My poor floor installers were probably sick of me. I mentioned a You-Tube video for them to watch by Loba, I bought them all socks to make sure they were keeping the floor clean after finishes. I was there through most of the process cleaning and inspecting. It was a pretty big process as we had one whole floor (1200 sq ft.) of our cabin finished. After two coats I noticed when the sun hit it there were inconsistencies. It didn’t all seem the same (sort of blotchy). I asked them to add one more coat and I’m so glad that I did. Now, I need recommendations on a vacuum that is lightweight to quickly dust with. The broom is ok but if there was a good vacuum I could use it would be easier. The wood cost was about $8,000. The install was around $5,500 and the Loba Finish was around 800-1,200. I’m waiting for the bill.
Yes, it was worth the trouble! Your floors are beautiful and I’m so appreciative of this post as I was just scouring the web for photos of refinished red oak floors that appealed to me and couldn’t find any until I came to it. We have refinished red oak before with an oil stain (with hand-scraping) but didn’t want to make the same absurd investment again (despite how insanely gorgeous they turned out) so I was looking for alternatives. I will recommend Loba 2k Invisible Protect AT to our GC and ensure that his sub is Loba-certified. And will use three coats!
In the end, why did you not choose either Bona finish, the Natural or Nordic Seal? Was it because you liked how it preserved the natural tone?
Sorry for the late response but yes, that’s exactly why. I found it kept the natural tone of the wood the best. Still loving my floors and I hope you do too.
Hi! Thanks for this post, it’s been SUPER helpful in my process to getting the perfect white oak floor! What plank width and length did you have?
I was researching about LOBA. First primer before to use 2 coats of Loba 2K Invisible Protect and one coat of WS 2K Supra. It will not turning yellow because of primer. I am looking for natural light brown with natural. How long will it last?
Thanks for this super helpful blog post. After reading this we just had our red oak floors refinished with 3 x Loba 2K invisible protect. They look lovely …light and bright, rather like white oak.
But….they are extremely matte and a little raw under foot which I don’t love and I’m really worried they’ll be hard to clean with the slightly rough texture….sounds more like the finish you had initially (before yours were fixed)
They did do 3 layers of Loba so wondering what’s up with them. (Annoying as we moved all the furniture back in already )
It sounds like the floors weren’t sanded well enough… my floors are matte but incredibly smooth.
Fellow attorney and mom of M2M;
I cant thank you enough for this post. I wish I could tell you how much it means to me this morning when I woke up thinking I am crazy and what I want is impossible because I have crazy ideas. I fired the sub-flooring company that my GC hired yesterday because of the same issue. Because of that my contractor quit saying that I am difficult and what I want is impossible. So here I am two weeks before Christmas with no flooring done and everything else on hold. But at least I know I am not crazy, or at least there is another crasy like me (joking). I know I followed my gut. I would have hated the final results.
After a few hours of researching I thought I had found Bona, and then stumbled on your post. Now I am off to researching Loba 2K Invisible Protect AT.
I am sure you are plenty busy before Christmas, but if you have time maybe start researching if I am crazy thinking filing for negligent infliction of emotional distress against my general contractor :). There is plenty to be done here.
Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Mom to Chloe & Alex
Hi Joana,
I’m sorry you are going through something so similar as I know how stressful and expensive it can be.
Would you believe that I’m actually having my upper level floors redone today? The main floor that I did with Loba is still beautiful. When I refinished it properly, I only did the main level and left my bedroom level the same. After three years, they look terrible so I’m biting the bullet and I have the same company back to apply 3 layers of Loba to the bedroom floors as well.
Good luck with whatever you end up deciding!
How did the upstairs turn out??
I am a flooring contractor and go to most of there trainings. They are by far the most reputable company out there today. I’m sorry that happened and it def sounds as though they didn’t apply heavy enough. It’s common for that to happen when a guy is using a new product. Glad you got them taken care of they are beautiful! @solidhardwoodflooring
M2M, this post was enormously helpful – thank you!! Can you share the name/contact info for the contractor Loba recommended? (I am also located in Long Island.)
Hi, I’m researching flooring for a new build. Builders have listed RED OAK in the contract but I want WHITE OAK, rift sawn if we can afford it. I’ll take rift and quarter though 🙂 Anyway, Thanks for your helpful blog. I have had several renovations over the years and there is nothing worse than having to argue with the contractor over things you want done YOUR WAY. I have literally had to say, “Are you gonna do what I want you to do or do I need to find someone else to will?” I know that is b*tchy but hey man, I’m paying you! 🙂 Well, I hope the upstairs floors turned out well too! Thanks again for all the info.
I know this is an old tread, but I would share my experience here. We have American Walnut floors. They were dark brown and upon sanding they became reddish. We tried using BONA Nordicseal which made the floors very light, but pink as well. We end up having to sand it again, and used the Loba Invisible AT (2 almost heavy coats) and we finished it up with Loba Supra AT. The floors look like white oak and amazing. The Supra AT satin has a little bit of a glossy finish, but it made the floors way prettier and more solid that with just the Loba invisible. We used the recommended rollers, not the T-bar method. I hope this helps.
Hi Claudia! My mother is dealing with the same dilemma now (walnut floors looking very pink after bleaching!) She is desperate for a white oak look. Wondering if we would be able to connect? Any further tips would be SO appreciate. (Who knew this would be such a headache!!) Thanks so much, Lindsay (lpf1213@gmail.com)
There are so many comments can you tell me what you ended up using and a final picture. Thanks
thank you Mommy to Max for sharing the info on LOBA 2K INVISIBLE PROTECT. my contractor is waiting my decision to choose the color, but I don’t like the NONA NORDIC SEAL.
I want to use your choice LOBA 2K INVISIBLE PROTECT FOR 3 COATS (NOT NEED TO ADD ANYTHING ELSE ON TOP OF IT. RIGHT?) double check with you making sure I have the correct info before I carry it out. Thank you.
Helen
one more question: please explain in detail how to apply LOBA 2K INVISIBLE PROTECT 3 coats.
pull it on the sanded floor and use cloth to apply to it to area by area?
Thank u Mommy to Max & awesome post! One thing is don’t ever doubt Loba-Wakol! We have the most amazing products on the market…which I’m sure ur aware of by now! And yes, Invisible Protect AT is our one stand alone finish that separates it from not only our other many amazing products but every other manufacturer out there! This product may fail unfortunately due to user error & can be for many reasons such as incorrect roller, rolling out too thin, using a t-bar (our micro-120 roller is highly
recommended), improper inter-abrasion & also due to using other products underneath as build coats! The most amazing thing about or product line is that we offer connected systems meaning all of our products work with one another starting from building a concrete slab with our Wakol line to the top cot of finish using our Loba line of products….simple as that! Also, I know Valenti Floors & they do some great local work! Please reach out to me if needed, I’m the N/NJ technical sales rep for Loba-Wakol!!!
I am super glad to find this product yet if it is invisible how the greyish color was reached on sanded oak floors?? and what is the hardner for and how it is used? Thanks again!!
Are the wood floors Red oak or white oak?
Please feel free to reach me directly regarding anything regarding Loba-Wakol since I would love to help u being the NY/NJ technical rep.
how do i reach you??
Just email me your number
where is your e mail?? you have mine hannaroae100@gmail.com PLEASE contact me ASAP. Thanks!!
Eric.cohen@loba-wakol.com
Hi there! Your post is so helpful! Thank you! I’ll be finishing my newly installed wood floors in the next week and I just wanted to check and see if you are still happy with Loba? I’m so nervous. Thank you again!
Hi! We have samples of the Loba 2k invisible on our white oak floors and I notice that it really pulls more of a warm tone than the natural wood. We added one coat of Loba 2k with loba brightener and having the hardest time choosing. We are worried the brightener pulls out the pink tone on some of the boards. Any ideas?
Hi
Did you use only Loba 2k invisible protect.
No other sealers used.
How are the floors holding up now to traffic, spills and any yellowing.
Thanks
Leo