How to Apply Bona Traffic Waterborne Wood Floor Finish
- Filed under:
- Floor Finishing
By Jim Birch on August 21, 2009
Rob Johnson from Bona joins us today to demonstrate how to re-coat a hardwood floor with Bona Traffic Wood Floor Finish. Rob also shows us proper mixing techniques using the Bona Traffic Mix Bottle when mixing less than gallon quantities. Using the Bona Roller is quite easy. The plastic discs on the side help you put down the correct thickness of finish, and the striped roller shows you when you have too much finish (It stops rolling correctly).
- When rolling a waterbased wood floor finish like Bona Traffic, pour a small puddle of finish on the floor, and get your roller saturated with finish. Roll that finish out evenly, up against the farthest wall, and spread it out until it is gone.
- Next, pour a line of finish perpendicular across the boards.
- Placing your roller in front of the wood floor finish, gently pull it back towards you. Do not apply pressure, just let the weight of the roller apply the finish.
- Once you’ve pulled back three or four feet (whatever your normal reach may be), roll forward passed the original line, and feather up. Be sure to move a little to the side when rolling back forward so you do not hit the puddle of finish.
- Move over 3/4 of the length of the roller and repeat. With the rest of the passes, try to pull back to the same place so your next line of finish is easily worked.
- Once you have crossed the whole room, pour another line of finish and continue.
Remember, cleaning your applicators can be done with soap and warm water. If you are applying another coat later, keep the applicator upright (like a vertical paper towel holder) so you don’t get flat spots in it. Some people like to use a new roller for the final coat, which is optional. I always used one roller for the sealer, and one for the finish, no matter how many coats.
when using bonna traffic and there is beading can a brush be used and will any brush marks be left
Comment by sep — September 8, 2009 @ 6:16 am
Sep,
As long as you don’t brush it too thin, there shouldn’t be any brush marks. Use a decent brush that would be used for latex paints.
Good Luck,
Jim
Comment by Jim Birch — September 10, 2009 @ 12:09 pm
i never thought i would like a water based finish but i like this one.
Comment by bob — September 24, 2009 @ 9:53 pm
Bob,
Glad to hear it!
Jim
Comment by Jim Birch — September 30, 2009 @ 1:52 pm
My finisher claims that the coverage numbers (350-400 sq ft/gallon with Traffic semi gloss) are way too liberal and he wants to cover my 340 sq ft floor with only half a gallon per coat. Is he being too stingy with the coats? Should he really try to use a whole gallon per coat on my floor?
Comment by Kevin Smith — December 3, 2009 @ 11:27 pm
Kevin,
The manufacturer recommendation is 350 to 400 square feet per gallon. Your floor will not be as durable, nor will it have enough finish on it if the finish is applied at a lower coverage rate.
Good Luck,
Jim
Comment by Jim Birch — December 4, 2009 @ 10:40 am
Hi- we are applying Traffic over 4 coats of another water based product (bioshield aqua floor resin). Is there anything we should be aware of before applying traffic to a different finish? Should we let the Aqua resin dry for longer than 24 hours before applying the Traffic?
Thanks
Comment by Amy Vince — December 7, 2009 @ 6:08 pm
Amy,
You need to make sure that that finish is completely cured before you apply a coat of finish from another manufacturer, then buff it out with a light grit screen or pad, vacuum/tack up all the dust, and apply the finish.
While the finish may be dry, during the cure time, the chemicals from the finish are still escaping. If you coat over the finish at this time, and the finishes are not compatible, it can leed to adhesion problems, like spider webbing, or peeling.
Good Luck,
Jim
Comment by Jim Birch — December 9, 2009 @ 12:42 pm