Yeah, I totally get what you mean about the gym floor vibe with poly. It’s just not for me either. I tried a traditional wax once and honestly, it looked gorgeous but I felt like I was constantly chasing scuffs and water spots. Oil seems to hit that sweet spot—looks natural, feels good, and you can spot-fix without redoing the whole thing. The only thing that bugs me is how much more often I have to think about maintenance compared to poly. But I guess that’s the tradeoff for having floors that don’t look like a basketball court.
Oil seems to hit that sweet spot—looks natural, feels good, and you can spot-fix without redoing the whole thing.
- Totally agree, oil’s way easier for touch-ups.
- Poly’s “gym floor” look just doesn’t work in most homes, unless you’re into that super shiny vibe.
- Wax is a pain—looks great for about five minutes, then it’s scuff city.
- Oil does need more upkeep, but at least you don’t have to sand the whole floor if you mess up a spot.
- For rentals or flips, I’ll still go poly sometimes just for durability, but for my own place? Oil all the way.
Oil’s definitely my go-to for my own place, too. I did a walnut floor in a flip last year and went with oil—mainly because the grain looked insane after, but also because it was way less stressful to fix the inevitable scratches from staging. Just dab a bit more oil, buff it out, done. With poly, I always feel like I’m holding my breath hoping nobody drags a chair across it before closing day.
Wax… yeah, looks killer for about a week if you’re lucky. Tried it once on an old oak floor and instantly regretted it—every footprint showed up, and I was constantly reapplying. Not worth the headache unless you’re really into that old-school maintenance routine.
Poly still wins on rentals for me, though. Tenants are rough, and I just don’t have time to babysit floors between leases. But for somewhere I actually live? Oil every time. It just feels better underfoot, too—never as plasticky as poly.
Couldn’t agree more on the oil—nothing beats how it brings out the grain, especially on walnut. I hear you about wax, too.
That’s been my experience as well. It’s just not practical unless you’re obsessed with buffing floors every other day.“every footprint showed up, and I was constantly reapplying”
I do think poly has its place for heavy-traffic spots, but for a home you actually care about? Oil just feels right underfoot. There’s something about that natural finish that makes a space feel warmer. Poly always feels a bit... cold to me.
I totally get what you mean about poly feeling cold. I used it in our hallway since that’s where the kids and the dog are constantly running through, and yeah, it holds up, but it just doesn’t have that same vibe as oil. The living room is oiled oak, and there’s just something about the way it feels under bare feet—almost softer somehow? Maybe it’s just in my head.
Wax was a nightmare for us. I tried it once on a small patch in the dining room, thinking it’d be “classic,” but every single smudge showed up. It looked great for about a day... then the maintenance drove me nuts. I’m curious—has anyone actually found a wax that doesn’t show every footprint? Or is that just the nature of the beast?
One thing I’ve wondered: do you ever notice oil finishes darken over time? Our walnut got noticeably richer after a year or so. Not complaining, just surprised how much it changed compared to poly.
