I am getting ready to refinish some stairs. I was planning on using polyurathane. I have been told that the water based version is better. Any thoughts? What are the pros and cons of both.

The good stuff is a little known, third alternative, solvent based, moisture cure urethane. It doesn't contain tung oil, and doesn't come from Min-Wax. It is hard to find in anything except an ultra high gloss. Sherwin-Williams carries it under the Rexthane label. The tung oil based stuff cures by reacting with the oxygen in the air. This stuff actually pulls water out of the air to cure. It also chemically bonds with the cellulose in a wood floor.

It is a little tough to work with. You must strip off all any old finish It produces terrible fumes. Get the job done while you can still have the windows open, or let it go until next spring. You can put 2 coats on in a day, and move the furniture back in the next. You have to buy special thinner to thin out the first coat to penetrate, and to clean the brushes.

I have it on both my hardwood floor in the family room, and over the poured epoxy floor in the kitchen. It is as tough or tougher than a 2 package epoxy with no mixing. Here is an example of the abuse mine thrives on, http://www.photolocker.net/images/La...llaplaying.jpg

I first became aware of the stuff working as a chemist in a resin lab 30 years ago. I was assigned a project painting hopper cars for hauling grain. I haven't used much of anything else as a wood finish since. I really can't give a good comparison of the 2 more common materials.