Waterborne Finishes for Hardwood Floors

new products have shaken up the wood flooring industry the way waterborne coatings have. Some tradesmen resent the fact that tougher air quality laws, not better performance, are dictating the use of the new coatings. Others can’t imagine working with a finish whose primary component is water — woodworkers’ enemy. And yet, to still others, the product is the greatest thing to come to market since the electric sander. But whether we like them or not, waterborne coatings will undoubtedly play a major role in the future of the wood flooring industry. Without question, the most widely used waterborne floor finishes are the waterborne urethanes. Though they’ve been used on residential floors in the U.S. for