Why does Bona Traffic Polyurethane cost more than Bona Mega? Is there a real difference between the two and is it worth it?
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The short answer is Yes and Yes! Bona really makes the best water borne polyurethanes, hands down. And, Bona Traffic HD is the best of the best. If you ask most experienced professional floor refinishers and if you read the reviews online, hands down Bona Traffic HD is the best water borne polyurethane.
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What’s the price difference between Bona Traffic HD and Bona Mega?
As a general rule, Bona Traffic HD costs about twice as much as Bona Mega. And, there is a good reason for that as you’ll read below. Please note that the cost of polyurethane is only one aspect of the cost equation (you also have to factor in the labor cost for sanding/refinishing as well as the cost for the stain (if you are staining).
So what’s the difference vs Bona Traffic HD and Bona Mega?
1. Bona Traffic HD has higher durability. It simply holds up to scratches better and lasts longer. How much longer? We’ll that’s tough to say as wear and tear differs by household based on foot traffic, whether you wear shoes, care and maintenance, etc. But, as a general rule, I’d venture that for the average household, it will probably give you an EXTRA 2 to 4 years of life. (And, if you are an extremely tidy household and have low foot traffic, no shoe policy, it could be even longer).
Bona Traffic HD comes with hardener that you mix in for even stronger durability.
2. Bona Traffic HD amberizes less. Nowadays, the majority of people want to avoid the yellow/amberizing effect that occurs over time (this is driven mainly by sunlight, but also interior light), and Bona Traffic provides much better protection for your floors. It gives you a more stylish, contemporary and natural look.
It’s also a more neutral color so it looks better (and looks higher quality) and it goes with more decor styles. Bona Traffic HD comes out lighter AND amberizes less over time compared to Bona Mega (as well as when it’s compared to oil based poly and all other water borne polyurethanes)..
This is especially important if you are staining hardwood floors gray or white washed floors, or if you have natural maple floors. On all of these, you want to avoid the yellow. We won’t use anything other than Bona Traffic for Gray or white washed floors.
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3. Bona Traffic HD has lower VOCs than Bona Mega. VOC’s are Volatile Organic Compounds, and the lower the number, the better. Bona Traffic has less than125 VOC’s while Bona Mega has 200 VOC’s.
4. Bona Traffic smells less. Because Bona Traffic has lower VOC’s, it just smells less. And, the odor dissipates faster. This can be a real advantage to those with young ones as well as those with sensitive noses. Well actually, it’s better for all of us (after all, who likes the smell of polyurethane?)
5. Bona Traffic HD cures faster. Both lines of Bona Mega and Bona Traffic dry equally as fast, but Bona Traffic CURES much faster. Many don’t understand the difference between drying and curing – they are both important, so let me explain.
Drying occurs when solvents evaporate from the surface of the film, leaving it tack free. This means you can walk on it (socks only). Curing occurs when residual solvents leave the film and it begins reacting with oxygen from the air. This allows it to develop strength, hardness, abrasion resistance (i.e. resistance to scratching) as well as chemical resistance.
One of the great things about Bona Traffic is that it is 80% cured after just 24 hrs and 90% cured at 72 hrs. It reaches full curing at 7 days (Oil based poly takes 30 days to cure).. This is really helpful for those who are looking to move into a new house quickly as well as busy households with dogs. The harder the floor gets before movers, kids and/or dogs walk on the floor the better.
Please read my guide lines in this article How long does it take polyurethane to cure which explains when you can move furniture back, when pets can walk on floors, put area rugs down etc. And, you may find this article handy on how to prevent scratches in hardwood floors. There are a few items you may want to buy ahead of time to help out (e.g. felt pads, doggie socks). You can also find some of these at the end of this article.
Where can you buy Bona Traffic HD and Bona Mega?
Often you can buy this at a local hardwood flooring store. It would be rare to find this in a local carpet store or a Big Box store. And, please note that this item may not be in stock in some areas of the country. But, a much easier and less expensive way to buy it would be on Amazon.
Related articles:
- What are the best brands of Polyurethane?
- Bona Traffic vs Bona Traffic HD – Is there a difference?
- How to refinish hardwood floors gray – the right way.
- How long does it take polyurethane to cure?
- How to prevent scratches in hardwood floors
If you live in Westchester County NY, I offer color consultations to advise customers on paint colors and stain choices. My designer discount at the paint stores usually more than offsets the cost for the hour consultation. Read more here.
Complementary products that will prolong the life of your hardwood floors
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I have 1 question :
They say you can put on a second coat of poly once its set , roughly 4 hours. yet they also say your not supposed to walk on it for 24 hours.
So how is it that your going to put the polu down for your 2nd or 3rd coat before 24 hours time ?
i realize people get away with it yet it seems to me that by waiting 24 hours between coats you will end up with less problems .
Just a thought from a guy who has done this for the first time
Joe – You can generally put the coat on carefully after 4 hrs (wearing socks). Each coat though takes longer to dry (generally an extra 2 hrs). Most likely, you may really only need 8 hrs from the last coat, but we advise customers to wait 24 hrs both to be careful and to account for humidity and/or poor circulation area. For Bona Traffic, at 24 hrs, it’s 80% cured so it’s much safer to wait until then. The more it cures, the better and each hour over the first 24 hrs makes a big difference.
I have a floor refinishing proposal that includes sealer, two coats of Bona Mega and final coat of Bona Traffic HD .Does it makes sense? Or I just better off paying extra cost of 3 coats of Traffic HD?
I’m refinishing second floor and stairs.
Thank you for advice.
Alex – If you are going natural, then do Bona sealer + 2 coats bona traffic HD. That will give you the most strength. If you are doing stain, then do stain + 3 coats Bona traffic HD for maximum durability. (The stain then acts as the sealer, so no need to use a sealer if you have stain). Using the Bona mega saves money, but definitely compromises durability.
Can i use bona mega on pine after using vinegar steel wool stain
I would recommend that you call Bona to see if this okay. For sure you can use Bona Mega on pine. I’m not sure about the stain you’re referring to and whether that would make a difference.
So, you say Traffic takes 7 days for a full cure, but in the “How long…” article, you list 30 days to cure for both water and oil based. Could you amend one or the other so they agree?
It takes 30 days for oil based poly to cure. It generally takes 14 days for water based poly. Bona traffic claims 7 days for curing, but we advise our customers to wait 14 days before putting area rugs down as it’s better to be safe than sorry. It is also safer to keep dogs off the floors for 14 days, too.
Hi flooring girl 🙂
We have sanded our birch floors. Love the natural paler colour of the sanded floors. What Bona Sealer products do you think we should use so that it stays as close to the natural sanded look as possible? I know as soon as you put sealer, generally they look darker and a bit more yellow. We don’t want yellow at all and hope to use one that keeps it as pale(white) as possible. Oh We have a big dog too 😉
A seller of the product recommended this: You put one coat of sealer on and at least 2 coats of bona mega with a Hardening booster.
But according to your site, I think there’s a better combo! Thoughts!?
I would probably try nordic for the lightest/most natural seal. My second choice is classic seal. But, I would test these in a small area as I don’t know if they would look different on birch vs. oak. I would do the sealer + 2 coats of Bona traffic HD. Bona Traffic HD has the hardening booster. It kind of sounds like that person got the products confused. But Bona traffic HD is the best in durability, lowest in VOC’s and least yellow out of all options.