Rubio Monocoat on Flooring

[phmade]

Has anyone used Rubio Monocoat on flooring?  I have a customer who really likes the look but I want to hear some reviews before I recommend something that won't last.  What should the expectations of durability be? Maintenance? 

I made up a sample board and then dripped red wine, olive oil, etc on it.  They all stained permanently.  The manufacturer said I need to wait at least 6 days for full cure before I do any testing on it. 

Also, I'd love to hear any application techniques.  I just wiped it on with a rag and waited a few minutes before wiping it off.  Then I buffed it with an ultra fine Mirka Mirlon pad.  Would I be better to use an abrasive pad on my Rotex?  I'm just wanting to most realistic sample.

 

[Walk On Wood]

It is not my favorite finish. It is properly applied using a rotary floor buffer.  We usually just squirt it on the floor and buff it in. .  Quality of sanding before application is extremely important.  It fall into the category of finished known as penetrating finishes (wax, hard wax oils)  and thus tend to be high maintenace. I prefer film building finishes: Swedish finishes or water based finishes like Bona Traffic.  Check out Bona Naturale if they like the Rubio look.  It is an absolutely flat sheen film building finish that has very good durability.

 

[semenza]

  I used Rubio on a countertop. It came out exactly the way the customer wanted for the appearance. You need to be somewhat careful about overlaps being darker than other areas but not as much as with stain (I was using a dark brown Monocoat). The hardest part of application was the buffing and removal of excess. It does have a long cure time in my opinion. I wasn't able to do any real testing. I do think it will have a pretty high maintenance regardless of manufacturer claims. But also should be fairly easy to repair. It certainly won't protect the wood itself from damage. I haven't seen it since delivery and I don't know how it is fairing.

[attachimg=1]

Seth

 

[leakyroof]

  I used Rubio on a countertop. It came out exactly the way the customer wanted for the appearance. You need to be somewhat careful about overlaps being darker than other areas but not as much as with stain (I was using a dark brown Monocoat). The hardest part of application was the buffing and removal of excess. It does have a long cure time in my opinion. I wasn't able to do any real testing. I do think it will have a pretty high maintenance regardless of manufacturer claims. But also should be fairly easy to repair. It certainly won't protect the wood itself from damage. I haven't seen it since delivery and I don't know how it is fairing.

[attachimg=1]

Seth

  Oooo, sexy... [wink]  Although the maint. level could really burn me out in a year or two of spills, cat claws, etc once the counter was installed.... [embarassed]

 

[Dane]

I used on the red oak floors in my house about 3 years ago.  It is certainly easy to apply and looks great, but the durability isn't fabulous.  According to Rubio, there is a maintenance product that you can just lay down and it will refresh the look, but I haven't tried it.  I think it would look best on something like walnut or another rustic-type floor, on red oak it kinds looks dirty after 3 years.

 

[BUTTER]

I've been curious about this product, too, and am glad to hear some candid feedback.
I can see how an open pore wood like oak, especially, would benefit from a film forming finish rather than a penetrating oil like Monocoat on a floor.

 

[cgraham]

I have it on five inch white oak engineered flooring for two years. Used a stand up buffer and went on easy and still looks good. One year ago finished a hallway that ties into the existing floor and was able to buff the monocoat so that you can't tell that they were done a year apart. Only drawback that I had was that I guess I didn't remove enough of the product and whenever you walked on your socks would turn black. That lasted a couple of weeks. Also because it was a basement it would be hard to get the smell from other finishes out and the monocoat smell only lasted a couple of days

 

[PA floor guy]

I am a flooring guy as well, although Rubio is not for everyone, it's one of my favorite looks on a floor.  I believe it's best use is for high traffic areas that will do maintenance coats every year. In my opinion, it's a super high end look, and I use it about 10-15 times a year.  Again, it has to be the right situation, species, etc. 

 

[Dane]

I'll just chime back in here as an end user.  I agree with PA Floor Guy that the Rubio looks great and if the end user can do the maintenance, it is a great product.  My experience is a a homeowner with 2 small kids and no realistic way to move the entire family and furniture out of the house to do the annual maintenance.  We are also probably as hard on floors as anyone you will find.  Kids grind blueberries and track mud, etc.  So, if you are doing it for some folks with no kids or in a place that can do the upkeep, I think its a great product.  It just isn't a "set it and forget it" type finish.

 

[phmade]

Thanks for all of the replies.  I made up a sample and did some torture testing on it.  It really didn't perform like I wanted it.  Red wine and Olive oil severely stained the wood.  I do love the look of the Rubio monocoat but I'm not sure the customer is willing to make major sacrifices in durability.

 

[junk731]

phmade did you use the 2 part rubio monocoat and let let it fully cure before doing your tests. My personal tests of the product would indicate otherwise.

John

 

[Frank-Jan]

I used the single part rubio monocoat on an engineered oak floor at my sister's house a couple of months ago. (in a newly built extension/kids playroom) The guy that gave it to me also gave me a maintenance product with it, that you have to add to water for a weekly cleaning. (BTW I personally recommended her getting a tile floor with radiant floor heating).
He also offered to lend me his floor buffing machine, but I declined because it was such a small floor (I regret that a little in hindsight). It's only about 10 m², and I thought I'd sand it with my rotexes and apply/remove excess with cloths.

It was my first time sanding and finishing a wooden floor, and I didn't sand it properly (I was to scared I would sand it too aggressively, since it was an enginered floor, so the top layer isn't that thick. But the finish isn't really that penetrating, it bonds to the top surface, and the excess has to be wiped off, and doesn't change the color (at least with the pure version, which doesn't have added color) and I think it won't dry either.
There were a few spots that weren't sanded at all (at some of the sides due to a little cupping of the boards) and some were (at the butt joints, some were a little uneven despite off the tongue and groove on all sides,so they were sanded very well to get them even)  that part came out a bit blotchy, so after about 3 to 4 weeks I ended up sanding half of the floor again and reapplying the monocoat to that part.
I think the recommended maintenance was, after application stay off the floor for a few days, then use it, but stay off the floor with water for 3 weeks (so only vaccuuming or using a swiffer); Then you could start with the moderately wet cleaning with the rubio cleaning product added to the water.

Haven't been there for a while, because they don't live near, but last time I was there it had been in use and looked okay.

 

[karatas]

hi.

this is my first post on this group so - hello everybody

i want to sand and oil (with Rubio Monocoat) 70 m2 of ash floor in house with RO150.

Can i sand ash to higher grit then 120? Goal is to have really smooth surface.

How to spread Rubio with RO? Spill some Rubio on floor, put white vlies on RO (496509) and spread it on floor, then, after 10-15 minutes, put new white vlies (clean) and collect excess?

Tnx in advance
Stanislav

 

[semenza]

    I don't have any updates on the Monocoat countertop. In hindsight ..... if the appearance is a must then I would use it again. But over all I am not sure I would recommend it. I think I would have to do more with it to really know if I like it or not.

Seth

 

[leakyroof]

    I don't have any updates on the Monocoat countertop. In hindsight ..... if the appearance is a must then I would use it again. But over all I am not sure I would recommend it. I think I would have to do more with it to really know if I like it or not.

Seth

  Seth Seth Seth,  why tease us with the Countertop and then no updates...... [big grin] [big grin] [big grin]
Maybe it's better this way, you won't wince at any recent spills or stains on it.... [scared]

 

[VinnyG.O.]

Has anyone used Rubio Monocoat on flooring?  I have a customer who really likes the look but I want to hear some reviews before I recommend something that won't last.  What should the expectations of durability be? Maintenance? 

I made up a sample board and then dripped red wine, olive oil, etc on it.  They all stained permanently.  The manufacturer said I need to wait at least 6 days for full cure before I do any testing on it. 

Also, I'd love to hear any application techniques.  I just wiped it on with a rag and waited a few minutes before wiping it off.  Then I buffed it with an ultra fine Mirka Mirlon pad.  Would I be better to use an abrasive pad on my Rotex?  I'm just wanting to most realistic sample.

 

[semenza]

    I don't have any updates on the Monocoat countertop. In hindsight ..... if the appearance is a must then I would use it again. But over all I am not sure I would recommend it. I think I would have to do more with it to really know if I like it or not.

Seth

  Seth Seth Seth,  why tease us with the Countertop and then no updates...... [big grin] [big grin] [big grin]
Maybe it's better this way, you won't wince at any recent spills or stains on it.... [scared]

    Sorry this doesn't help with the flooring exactly but I just realized that I can update this now.

    On the countertop ............ the customer just had me redo the Monocoat finish a few months ago. It definitely wears off and in this application gets lots of food and spills and cleaning. They knew this going in so I had no customer issue. I am not sure they kept up the maintenance on though. I think it was close to five years. But I think that it was in need of refinishing in about four.

    For the reapplication I sanded off the original. Poured it on to an area about 10 - 15 square feet at a time. Spread and distributed with a cloth. Got it fairly even. Waited a bit and wiped off excess. Then used a sheepskin on the Rotex 150 to buff and blend areas. Rotex worked great!

Seth

 

[Islandlife]

[mad]

Spent $33,000 refinishing my entire house with Rubio Monocoat Fume.  Love the look.  However the product is terrible and does not work.  Within 1 week, my kitchen floors were spotting near the sinks.  Water spots left on the floor discolored it.  Prior to choosing Rubio, I read their product specifications and called their office in Texas.  I read and was told that product can be used in kitchen.  Wrong!!  Spotting and discoloration after 1 week.  Further the company does not stand behind their product.

 

[DOTTIE]

We have fume Rubio Monocoat finish.  We have an area in one of our rooms where the oyster oil was applied to thick and unfortunately cured and thus leaving visible spots of too much oil (oyster colored). We also had to have a area repaired as spot fixed and we are on 6th time to try and get it to match. The wood has been removed several times and refumed and stained with oil but still cant get it to match and look like it was not a repair job.  We have a lot of dry looking spots and discolored round spots which someone on here said was from water.  We immediately wipe any drops of water and some of ours are not even in an area with water (as in kitchen) so pretty sure its not from any water. Our wood in some areas does even bead up with Rubio which tells us its absorbing and expelling water depending on the humidity of your house (not good)  Rubio has NOT provided any solutions to the buildup or should I say none of them worked.  Not a happy hardwood floor person right now and we have had them for years with no problems until this finish.  Any advice on any of these issues? Thanks so much. 

 

[Michael Kellough]

Although Rubio’s Moncoat is marketed for floor finishing I’ve never understood how such an insubstantial material could adequately protect any floor let alone a kitchen floor. It seems to me to just be a very expensive stain.