Bona makes a variety of floor finishes. There are Bona Mega, Bona Strong, Bona Traffic and Bona Naturale for waterbased finishes, in addition to Woodline Polyurethane, which is an oil based polyurethane floor finish. But did you know that Bona now has five different options for the sealer that goes underneath those sealer?

Why do I Need A Sealer?

The most important question of all, why do you need a sealer under your floor finish? Sealers are made to penetrate into the wood deeper than finishes. They seep in and provide a great foundation for the finish that goes on top. They really help your overall system be as strong as can be, starting from in the wood and working up.

The second reason to use a sealer is to prevent sidebonding/panelization. This is a problem where floor finish seeps between the boards and acts as glue, bonding 2 or 3 boards together. As wood floors loose moisture and would normally start to gap a little, the boards stick together, and leave you with one big gap every 2 or 3 boards. Using a sealer will help prevent this.

The third reason to use a sealer under your floor finish is to help block tannin bleed. Tannins occur in all sorts of plant life, and have very useful attributes in wine, pomegranates, and other fruits. However, in wood flooring, they become a nuisance. With some waterbased finishes and sealers, the installer may pull the tannins from the wood which brings out a darker color in those spots. This happens the most in White Oak, but can happen in most woods. A subtle stop, turn, or push of the applicator can come out of seemingly nowhere to pull the tannins out of the wood. It can be very frustrating.

The Floor Finish Sealers

Bonaseal - Waterbased Sealer

The original Bona waterbased sealer, Bonaseal is crystal clear, seals the wood preventing the finish from penetrating, minimizes tannin bleed (especially on white oak), and reduces tendency for sidebonding. It is not catalyzed and ready to use out of the gallon. A very easy solution. Bonaseal should be abraded with a conditioning pad, not a screen, and should only have one coat followed by your finish.

DTS - Deep Tone Sealer - Waterbased Sealer

This was Bona’s first attempt at making a waterbased sealer close to the color of an oil based sealer. It has a slight amber color that will bring out the rich tones in the wood. It has very similar properties to Amberseal, with slightly less color. It is not catalyzed and ready to use out of the gallon. DTS can be screened or abraded with a conditioning pad and can be doubled up to bring a richer color.

Amberseal - Waterbased Sealer

Bona’s latest addition, Amberseal, is a poly-toned, waterborne sanding sealer. Bona AmberSeal combines the color and depth of oil-based products with the low VOC’s and safety of waterborne sealers. It is not catalyzed and ready to use out of the gallon. Like DTS, Amberseal can be screened or abraded with a conditioning pad, and can be doubled up for a thicker build, and a deeper, richer color.

DriFast Stains - Oil Based Stain

Bona DriFast Stains are specially formulated for use on wood floors, and to act as a sealer when used underneath Bona Finishes. They are compatible with all Bona waterborne and all other Bona finish systems. So instead of a traditional sealer, you can use 1 coat of stain under 2 coats of Traffic for a residential home.

DriFast Sealer - Oil Based Sealer

A quick drying, polyurethane sanding sealer. Designed to penetrate and seal bare wood. Compatible with all Bona stains, oil modified and waterborne finishes. This is the traditional oil based sealer that brings out the rich tones in the wood.

Bona Floor Finish Sealers Sorted By Color Range

Below you will find a list of Bona Sealers sorted by color, 1 being No Color, and 10 being the color of Oil Based Polyurethane.

• 1 - Bonaseal (Totally Clear)
• 4 - DTS Sealer (Slight Amber)
• 6.5 - DriFast Natural Stain (Oil Based Stain brings a lot of color)
• 8 - Amberseal (The closest anyone has gotten to matching oil’s color in a water)
• 10 - DriFast Sealer (The oil poly sealer)
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