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A steam mop won't damage the finish film but it will force moisture into the wood between the boards or into any open scratched areas on the surface of the board. This could cause a de-lamination of the finish from the wood or damage to the wood itself. We recommend a commercial floor cleaner such as Bona floor cleaning system.

The hardness properties of a wood finish are formulated around the objectives of use. A hard finish is desirable on projects that get heavy wear such as kitchen cabinets or table tops.

But in other situations, such as an outdoor topcoat, a desired property of the finish is elongation, which allows the topcoat to expand and contract through different extremes of temperature.

Flat Out Flat is a matte water based topcoat with a velvety feel and was developed as a durable alternative to our Satin Wax.

Choose this product if you want a finish that looks more like wax and your project will not require high use. Like wax, it dries softer to the touch than High Performance when completely cured, and it will show more marring and fingerprints. Flat Out Flat is made with a stable self cross-linking acrylic instead of urethane.

No, you should not mix Flat Out Flat and High Performance topcoats. They are engineered with different resin systems.

You can mix High Performance topcoats to adjust sheen. For example, you can mix HP Flat and HP gloss to obtain a different sheen.

Enduro Clear Poly is designed for professionals that routinely spray their finishes. High Performance is formulated for the retail market so it can be sprayed or hand applied.

GF has improved the High Performance formula and Cross Linker would not provide an added benefit.

GF advises extra care and prep when applying any finish over laminate surfaces because they are specifically designed not to mar and therefore they are not very "sand-able", making adherence difficult.

In addition to this non-permeable surface factor, General Finishes Gel Stain is an oil-based product, and it is more difficult to obtain proper drying characteristics over a dense manufactured surface such as laminate. Gel stains, as all wood stains, were formulated to go over raw wood which has an "open" surface and can absorb some of the stain.

It depends on whether you are looking for aesthetics or durability.

A topcoat will provide greater durability and protection than wax finishes over time.

While wax finishes are lovely, they typically show wear (fingerprints) and are not permanent, requiring semi-annual to annual maintenance.

Wax is a low durability finish. It’s fine for a decorative piece that will receive light traffic. It is absolutely not strong enough for tables, kitchen cabinets, or other surfaces that will see frequent use.

Wax takes a bit of elbow grease to apply.