The difference in a staircase after 3 years of wear is crazy

I refinished a red oak staircase back in 2020 for a client in Portland. They used a water-based poly, and I told them to be careful with heavy traffic because it wouldn't hold up like oil-based. I stopped by last week to fix a cabinet for them, and the treads on the bottom three steps are completely worn through to bare wood. The rest of the stairs still look great. Has anyone else seen water-based finishes fail way faster than the can claims?

4 comments

4 Comments

elliot_roberts10d ago

Man my buddy had the exact same thing happen with his stairs. He redid them with a water-based poly that claimed it was "commercial grade" and within two years the landing was completely bald while the rest looked fine. He was so mad because the can said it would last 5-7 years with heavy traffic. I guess with stairs it's just too much abrasion for water-based stuff to handle especially on the steps where people pivot and drag their feet. Now he swears by oil-based poly for anything that gets real foot traffic.

the_viola10d ago

Yeah it's funny how the FANCY stuff always looks great in the showroom but falls apart first in real life.

phoenix_singh2510d ago

Oh man, don't even get me started. I did the whole guest bathroom in a "premium" matte finish paint that the guy at the store swore was the best thing for bathrooms. Had to repaint the whole room nine months later because the moisture from showers made it peel off in sheets. But the cheap flat paint I used in my laundry room that I grabbed by mistake? That stuff has been on the wall for five years now without a single issue. It's like the more they hype something up, the faster it's gonna embarrass you. I swear some of these companies just slap the word "professional" on a can to jack up the price and it's the same stuff or worse. The real lesson is that boring always wins in the end.

max_cooper2110d ago

Seven years on a staircase landing? That's brutal. @elliot_roberts your buddy got totally played by that marketing guarantee.