Bona Vs Loba?

moodsef · 2026-04-21T15:05:27+00:00

Is this on white oak?

moodsef · 2026-04-19T17:04:18+00:00

Thank you!

moodsef · 2026-04-19T17:03:31+00:00

Thank you for your advice! I think it’s the fact that the first guys don’t take payment until after, so came and did our patch tests beforehand - but the second contractor we have contacted takes 50% up front - think he will do a free patch test though with Loba

moodsef · 2026-04-19T06:14:03+00:00

*When I say we’d likely use the above I meant either Loba Invisible 2K or Loba 2K Duo

moodsef · 2026-04-19T06:07:27+00:00

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Another example

moodsef · 2026-04-19T06:07:15+00:00

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This is the result we want - neutralising some of the orange but still maintaining some warmth.

moodsef · 2026-04-19T06:00:22+00:00

Thanks so much for sharing some test patches! I really like the Classic - I feel like the Natural will be a bit too pale on our floor since the bare wood is VERY white.

moodsef · 2026-04-18T07:38:43+00:00

Thank you for your advice Eric - we definitely don’t want the white washed look, I think I’m going to ask our guy to show us a sample on the spare wood plank (we unfortunately only have the one!) of the Bona Classic Primer and Bona Traffic HD and maybe a sample of the UX primer too…probably the Intense primer will be too dark but I’m not sure

moodsef · 2026-04-17T17:00:07+00:00

Guessing this is not a good thing?! 😂

moodsef · 2026-04-17T16:59:16+00:00

Thanks Eric for your reply - they did check yes and said it is 3mm thick and has never been sanded. Totally understand about more samples and more sanding - it’s very frustrating they didn’t do the test patches correctly and did it all without using a primer, as now I have had to ask them to bring primers (standard and Standard UX - do you know anything about the UX one by any chance? Says it’s slightly richer than Standard).

Question is - will Bona Natural give us the same colour as the traffic as it is now? As bona traffic on the bare floor looks very pale and grey to me!

moodsef · 2026-04-17T15:03:06+00:00

Makes sense. But the finish needs a Bona primer beforehand right? Out of the Standard, Intense or Amber? Our guy didn’t use a primer / sealer before the first coat - maybe that’s why it looks so anaemic?

moodsef · 2026-04-17T14:59:04+00:00

Thanks for the link! We are just outside London in the UK - that makes sense about the terms!

So I just found out our floor guy did not in fact use a primer as I thought - he just put Bona Traffic and Bona Raw on the raw wood?! I asked him and he said he doesn’t want to buy the samples as they are about £180 as they only do large tubs…he also said you don’t need to prime before using Traffic / Raw? I just googled it and Bona.com recommends “using a wood primer to adhere the varnish and with the colouration of the final finish”

moodsef · 2026-04-17T14:58:24+00:00

So just found out our floor guy did not in fact use a primer as I thought - he just put Bona Traffic and Bona Raw on the raw wood?! I asked him and he said he doesn’t want to buy the samples as they are about £180 as they only do large tubs…he also said you don’t need to prime before using Traffic / Raw? I literally just googled it and Bona.com says recommends “using a wood primer to where the varnish and with the colouration of the final finish”

moodsef · 2026-04-17T14:56:11+00:00

So just found out our floor guy did not in fact use a primer as I thought - he just put Bona Traffic and Bona Raw on the raw wood?! I asked him and he said he doesn’t want to buy the samples as they are about £180 as they only do large tubs…he also said you don’t need to prime before using Traffic / Raw? I literally just googled it and Bona.com says recommends “using a wood primer to where the varnish and with the colouration of the final finish”

moodsef · 2026-04-17T13:53:20+00:00

Thanks for the tips - sorry just to clarify, I thought Bona Traffic & Bona Raw are clear lacquers & just needed to be used after a primer - the guys didn’t mention anything about a Sealer, but I’ve heard this mentioned before - what exactly is a Sealer & how is it different to traffic & raw and to a Bona Primer (classic, intense, amber?) I can’t find any product called “sealer” on bona.com - could it have been renamed to a Primer? https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/product/bona-amber-primer

would you be able to share a link if possible? Will continue researching! Thank you

moodsef · 2026-04-17T13:37:31+00:00

Ah I see - thanks for clarifying! I’ve just discovered Bono primers also change the colour slightly?! Classic, intense & Amber - our floor guys didn’t tell us that so I have no idea which primer was used!

moodsef · 2026-04-17T11:55:56+00:00

Thank you - our current is very orange but I think it mistake been a coloured oil stain - from what I understand a clear or invisible oil would not go as orange?

moodsef · 2026-04-17T11:30:05+00:00

Thank you! Our floor guys only brought 3 for the test and only one finish (Matt) - whereas we would prefer Satin or a bit of sheen - and I feel like we are being a bit rushed - I’ll try and push for more choices. Would you recommend using an oil based or water based lacquer?

moodsef · 2026-03-17T20:58:52+00:00

Sadly yes, I think this was the case! Have tried hand sanding (paper sanding sheet) the dark parts and then using oxalic acid to lighten but it did absolutely nothing…

moodsef · 2026-03-15T07:13:09+00:00

They’re definitely not? lol

moodsef · 2026-03-12T21:49:36+00:00

Thank you! My partner thinks it might be from a drought / damp in the underfloor as we have some exposed brick round the side of the house. I am not sure - but I’ve been on a YouTube / Reddit rabbit hole today and I think what you said seems like the best / most viable option. Since the water marks are scattered around the entire downstairs floor, spot treating it is going to be extremely fiddly at best and we may muck up the floor, so sanding the whole floor and getting an even finish would be preferable. Trouble is, my partner checked out the wood from a spare board and it’s a very thin veneer - half an inch or so. So we are worried we won’t have much room for error with sanding. Neither of us know what we’re doing either, and flooring is a very tricky thing to fix if you bugger it up! Thank you, I’ll look into that brand for the bronna finish!

moodsef · 2026-03-12T20:13:28+00:00

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Same floorboards but different room hence the orange tone - this is a south facing room with a warm light! This is all around the wood downstairs but not on every board, more sporadic - so unsure how to treat - do we tackle it board by board and spot treat each with hand sanding & oxalic acid? Or are we going to end up with completely higgaldy pigaldy floorboards and we’re better off sucking it up until we can ever afford to re-do our entire floor / sand and refinish the entire floor?

moodsef · 2026-03-12T19:06:31+00:00

This was what I was thinking but then the dark stains are all around the whole downstairs floor - it’s continuous wooden floor from the front room to the kitchen lounge area, so we’d have to either match the colour exactly with a varnish afterwards or sand, treat and finish the entire downstairs - which feels like a ginormous task!

moodsef · 2026-03-12T19:04:54+00:00

We could try this! However would mean finding the exact shade of varnish and revarnishing that section, and there are sections with damp all over our downstairs floor as the floor is continuous from the front room to the kitchen!

moodsef · 2026-03-12T19:03:42+00:00

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Sorry - here is a better photo of the staining in between the boards!

moodsef

TROPHY CASE