Question 1

It says it doesn't amber. Will it darken unfinished red oak? I tried polyurethane on a test piece but it darkened it a lot and made it very amber.

Accepted Answer

I put 4 coats on red oak stair treads and risers over Minwax Golden Oak stain 3 years ago and the finish is holding up as good as I hoped for and no sign of ambering which is the principle reason I spent the money for it.  Plan on using it on about 500 lineal feet of red oak colonial base, case, crown and several
raised panel oak doors.

Question 2

Is this a water based finish?

Accepted Answer

No, this is not a waterbase finish, this is a piece of crap finish, but all jokes aside, I would not recommend using this. I’m sorry to say I several tries, and as a custom, Stair and Installer/finisher I have been through hell recently due to this product. It is very very temperamental in regards to its application during times of humidity, and of course, living in Florida times are always humid. As well the finish does not have a very durable final cured surface. I mean even the treads that got applied and had several layers of finish I saw the actual stain layer become revealed after only a month or two of the Stair system being completed and walked on, and I have never in my life experience, such a bunch of problems and lack of durability and quality as I have with this particular finish . 
I would highly recommend checking out bonus two-part polyurethane commercial finish. Sadly, the price for Bona is somewhat more expensive, but it is well worth the money and rest assured that I have used the Bona’s for so long and I have had no problems and not to mention the mixing of this product is very forgiving. If you are off with the ratios, it is not a huge deal, but believe me when I say you may regret The Miniwax product if you actually decide to try it but after I learn my lesson, I went and read up on the product and found out that apparently they’re having well-known and many documented cases of mini waxes finish, particularly the one in question here having a reported bout of bad batches that were created, tested, and still sold to the public. Even the more than likely these products did not meet Quality Control standards they still were allowed to make it to the shelves. I have a few Custom Builder’s I work for and when I do the stair cases that are 3040 and $50,000 stair systems. It is a very very stressful ordeal when I have to answer to the builder and/or homeowners about why the finish that was used has so many issues and not just the durability.

Question 3

Can I use this on type of an oil based poly?

Accepted Answer

This is a water based product. Do not mix with oil! I sadly made this mistake because I couldn’t find anywhere that said the base but they told me when I called the company.

Question 4

Will this protect at all against water

Accepted Answer

Yes, to some extent. Depending on the wood you use. We used it on plywood floors and it works very well unless it the water sits for a while. We have also used it on furniture pieces that we build ( tables and benches) and it is does a very good job of protecting against water on solid wood. Good enough that we used it on the island too I built out of 2x12 lumber.

ASIN	B00GRAHNLQ
Best Sellers Rank	#207,259 in Tools & Home Improvement ( See Top 100 in Tools & Home Improvement ) #25 in Flooring Finish Compound
Brand Name	Minwax
Compatible Material	Wood
Coverage	400 sq ft/gallon
Customer Reviews	4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (84)
Finish Types	Satin
Global Trade Identification Number	00027426131033
Included Components	Minwax - 131030000
Item Form	Liquid
Item Type Name	Utimate Floor Finish
Item Weight	0.27 g
Liquid Volume	128 fluid ounces
Manufacturer	Minwax Co, Inc.
Manufacturer Part Number	131030000
Manufacturer Warranty Description	Warranty
Material Type	Plastic
Model Number	131030000
Number of Items	1
Recommended Uses For Product	interior
UPC	027426131033
Unit Count	128 Fluid Ounces

Minwax Ultimate Floor Finish, Satin, Clear, 1 Gallon

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