I'm not going to try and razzle dazzle you with technical garb like I see others do. What I will do is explain the basic difference between oil and water based floor finishes. With oil based finish it's solvents that make the solids flow out to make an even coat of finish across your floor. With water base it's water that makes them flow.

It's been explained to me that poly resins in water base are of a higher quality, and your best water bases are two component finishes. Similar to that of a two part epoxy. There is a hardener that gets mixed in the finish just prior to applying the finish. Due to the fact that with oil base you have solvents evaporating into the atmosphere, and water base you have water evaporating into the atmosphere, water base is the green choice in film build finishes.

Back when water based finishes first hit the market in the metro Detroit area I started using them. The fact they were a greener choice is what sold me but it took forever for me to convince my customers this was the way to go. Greener and better! What more could you ask for? Now 30 years older and not as much into change as I once was in my younger days, I find myself getting real close to start pushing this next best round of amazing flooring products for the 4th and 5th generation of Havner hardwood guys to use.