Applying Top Sealing Coats

     Day 3:  Three sealing coats give the wood a hard protection that protects the floor from stains and scratches and liquid spills. Both the stain and the sealing product have a  UV protectant.  This is nice if the sunshine and light hits the floors, which over time would fade the finish.  He uses the sealer Emulsion Pro made by Basic Coatings.      Emulsion PRO™ is self-sealing, VOC compliant and has an oxidative cross-linked urethane system that produces better wear properties than traditional oil finishes. 
     He favors a Satin finish as scratches or imperfections will be far less visible, and the low sheen lasts longer and is easier to maintain.  A high gloss wood floor is lovely, but it has a number of disadvantages.  We went with his suggestion and chose the Satin finish. There was hardly any odor to the sealing coats.  He applied the first coat and it dried one hour.  Then the second coat had to dry 3 hours (he left and did an job estimate, Paul and I left for the grocery store).  On returning he did a fine sanding of the floor and the third and final sealing coat was applied. 
     FLOOR FINISHING DONE!! We are pleased with the work of American Hardwood Flooring.

In the pictures below, the color appears different depending on the way the light is shining on the floor and variations with camera settings.  Every computer monitor too will show color different. 

 The Emulsion Pro Sealing coat dries very quickly, and you can see in the photo below patches (see middle of photo) that are drying faster than other areas.

 The color of stain we chose blended quite well with the old finish you can see here in one of the bedrooms.  The Golden Pecan we chose is just a little lighter. Many years ago I rented floor sanding equipment and did this small room myself. After seeing Phil's work, I wouldn't mind having him re-fresh this bedroom floor.  The other two rooms will remain carpeted. 

 Fritz The Cat, the neighbor's cat, is the chief inspector from the window ledge.

 Incandescent lighting in the hallway shows off the color a little differently.

 We are very pleased with the results!

 Still need to put back all the shoe molding along the baseboards.

And in two weeks the demolition of the kitchen and dining will begin!!

Now THAT will be a much bigger mess to deal with!

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