What is the difference between water-based and solvent-based floor finishes ?
Both water-based and solvent-based finishes are made of urethane. During application, water or solvent evaporates and allow the urethane molecules to merge and form a coat of finish. The solvents liberated in the air are toxic for your health and the environment. For this reason and because of the odour, you have to leave your house for a few days. The advantage of using a water-based finish is that there is no nasty smell and drying is much more rapid than a solvent-based finish (2-4 hours instead of 12 or more).
