Ask ten floor finishers what goes on last and you’ll get eleven opinions. Ask what we reach for in our own warehouse and the answer is short: DuraSeal. It’s an oil-based polyurethane from a brand built around wood floors (DuraSeal is part of Sherwin-Williams), and it keeps earning its spot on job trailers across North Georgia.
Warm, deep and very oak
DuraSeal Polyurethane is a linseed-oil-modified finish. Oil brings the grain forward, so red and white oak get that rich, glowing look clients point at the second they walk in. It also adds an amber tone, most noticeable over light woods. On oak, that warmth is usually the whole point. On a pale floor or a gray stain, plan for it, or ask at the counter about a water-based finish instead.
Tough enough for the dog’s laps
It’s a hard-wearing, stain-resistant topcoat made for hardwood floors in houses and commercial spaces alike. Two coats is the usual spec. Add a third in kitchens, hallways and anywhere the traffic (or the dog) runs laps.
The numbers that matter on the job
- Coverage: about 500 sq ft per gallon per coat, so a 5-gallon bucket covers roughly 2,500 sq ft a coat.
- Recoat: 8 hours. Coat today, recoat tomorrow morning, get paid Friday.
- Application: thin coats with a lambswool applicator or a brush. Thin beats thick every time.
- Between coats: abrade the whole floor, vacuum, then tack it with a cloth dampened with mineral spirits.
- Sheen: we keep satin in 5-gallon buckets, the low-glare sheen most jobs call for.
Staining first? Keep it one system
DuraSeal’s finishes are made to go over DuraSeal stains and sealers, and we stock Quick Coat Penetrating Finish in every color at all six stores. It can be topcoated in about two hours. Let the stain dry per its label, then start your poly. Staying in one system from stain to topcoat is the easiest way to make sure every layer bonds the way it should.
Need a floor that’s ready for any color? Our unfinished engineered oak is made in the USA from real American oak, and our solid hardwood comes from NOFMA-certified U.S. mills. Stain them however you like and pick the sheen the client wants.
Before the first coat: a short checklist
- Sand to bare wood and remove all old finish and stain.
- Don’t put it over wax, shellac, lacquer, or stains that contain wax or stearates.
- Skip the steel wool, and don’t burnish the floor before coating.
- Avoid very cold or very humid days, and keep the ventilation open while it dries.
- Oily rags and pads can catch fire on their own. Put them, along with sanding dust, in a sealed metal can filled with water.
The deal: the applicator is on us
Buy a 5-gallon bucket of DuraSeal Oil-Based Poly, Satin, and get a Durafoam applicator free. Buy the poly. The applicator is on us. The deal ends Friday, October 16.
Why it lives in our warehouse
Because our customers ask for it by name, and because a finish you trust is one less thing to think about at 6 AM. We carry DuraSeal oil-based polyurethane, Quick Coat in every color, plus the Durafoam applicators and refills to put it all down. Stock moves fast, so call your store before you hook up the trailer, and check this week’s specials for more deals.
We’re open by 7 AM on weekdays (Marietta at 6:30 AM) at all six stores: Alpharetta, Lawrenceville, Marietta, Norcross, Suwanee and Winder. Order in store or by phone at (800) 940-9589.