How many coats of floor finish?

How many coats of finish do I need to lay on my floor?

This is a question we receive periodically from end users that does not really have a black and white answer. In some cases we might ask what the gloss expectation is, in other cases it might be what type of maintenance will be provided on the floor.

The most consistent answer that we can give is the “Rule of 100”. The “Rule of 100” proposes that you take a look at the percentage of solids of the finish and divide 100 by the percentage. So for example if the finish has a 25% solids you divide 100 by 25 and you come up with 4 coats of finish for the floor. If the solids content of the finish is 19-20% you would divide 100 by 20 and it would let you know that you should use 5 coats of finish on the floor.

This practice is designed to allow for cleaning the floor which can remove some of the finish without exposing the bare floor to be damaged or stained.