When refinishing your hardwood flooring, choosing the right polyurethane for your floors, color, and the living situation could make all the difference in how you feel about your hardwood floors for years to come.

The two basic types of polyurethane are oil-based and water-based, and both will provide significantly different results from the other, depending on what you need from your flooring.

- Oil-based polyurethane

Oil-based polyurethane typically looks better, lasts longer, and costs less than water-based polyurethane. This type of polyurethane gives a deeper, richer color on most hardwoods that continues to get deeper and richer over time, while water-based polyurethane is duller in both colors and finishes.

Oil-based polyurethane also lasts longer than water-based, requires fewer coats at application, and costs as much as 10 to 25 percent less than water-based polyurethane.

- Water-based polyurethane

While this type of polyurethane doesn’t provide the same rich, deep appearance or last as long as oil-based polyurethane, there are a number of instances where using water-based polyurethane is the more appropriate option.

Water-based polyurethane dries much faster, sometimes in just 1-2 days versus oil-based polyurethane that may take 3-5 days to dry (depending on the humidity). This can make a significant difference for business owners who cannot afford to have their doors closed for multiple days.

For whitewashed and gray stained floors, water-based polyurethane is a must. Oil-based polyurethane will turn these floors yellow over time. Natural maple hardwood floors should also be stained with water-based polyurethane because it better fits the look of these floors compared to an oil-based option.

Water-based polyurethane also doesn’t smell as bad as oil-based polyurethane. Many homeowners are forced to choose the water-based option simply because their living situation doesn’t allow oil-based for this reason.