# Anyone use Rubio Mono Coat?



## InterCounty

Have a potential customer who wants to use it.
Website makes it seem thats its the best thing since sliced bread.

http://www.monocoat.us/
http://www.rubiomonocoatusa.com/default.aspx

Any experience?
How does the final look appear?
Durable?


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## adamsb

I've never used it, it's just not that appealing to me. One coat of anything Is not enough. If it comes up we steer the customer to Waterlox. That stuff is great ! I've seen some floors done with Rubio and they get real dark in the traffic areas because the grain remains open and just absorbs the dirt, and when you mop it, the grain just kinda takes on the mud that your creating while mopping and the floor becomes dark and nasty after a short time. Just my thoughts.


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## RhodesHardwood

We use this all the time. Use http://www.rubiomonocoatonline.com. It is one of the master distributors, who also owns WD flooring. They are very good guys and very easy to work with. Be sure to get the 2c type that has the hardener. This stuff pretty much is the best thing since sliced bread. Some very cool possibilities with their fuming, smoking and precolor products. You can do textured looks, cool grays, black floors and much more... It is durable with the 2c additive, not very durable without it. It's also very nice that it goes on in one application. Many guys will water pop before applying so the wood soaks up more... The biggest tip I could give you is to apply with a buffer and buff it in really really well. You will go over an area with it, but it is not absorbed really well until you have really buffed it in well. For example; if I were doing a 15X15 square room, I would probably make it take an hour or more to apply. Here are a couple of pictures of rubio jobs. One is fumed and then top coated with Rubio black, another is a walnut floor with pure on it. Hope this helps. You will come to like this stuff.


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## RhodesHardwood

Trying to add these pictures again.


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## RhodesHardwood

adams said:


> I've never used it, it's just not that appealing to me. One coat of anything Is not enough. If it comes up we steer the customer to Waterlox. That stuff is great ! I've seen some floors done with Rubio and they get real dark in the traffic areas because the grain remains open and just absorbs the dirt, and when you mop it, the grain just kinda takes on the mud that your creating while mopping and the floor becomes dark and nasty after a short time. Just my thoughts.


This product takes some getting used to. The floors become very well sealed up when done right. It is easy to mess this up by not buffing it into the floor good enough. What you probably saw was a rubio floor either not done right, or the non 2c was used. As I mentioned in my previous reply to this thread it is very important to buff it in really well. It's easy to make the mistake of not doing so because the floor will initially look wet from the product. However, once you take a step back and look at the floor in a different angle you will see it has not absorbed into all of the softer grains. To do it right you need to buff and buff and then buff some more. One coat is enough with this stuff, I can assure you. It's also a huge plus to be able to touch up areas in the middle of the floor and easily blend it in.


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## adamsb

Cool man, I would like to try it out then based on what you said. I didn't know it offers a hardener. What kind of pad do you buff it in with? How do you get around the walls? , just use rags by hand?


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## RhodesHardwood

adams said:


> Cool man, I would like to try it out then based on what you said. I didn't know it offers a hardener. What kind of pad do you buff it in with? How do you get around the walls? , just use rags by hand?


You should definitely try it. They are not paying me to say it either. lol. We use the thin white buffer pads. We do the edges with a piece of the same type of buffer pad. We have found using rags actually almost takes off too much of it. It's easy to make the mistake of wanting to do it like stain (if you buff your stain), I made that mistake on the first one I did by wiping too much off and not buffing it in good enough. Another great thing about it is; you would almost never need to resand a job from applying it. Anything is fixable/recoatable. We will give people a coupon after they hire us for a Rubio job that offers a discount on a recoat with a 3-5 year period to help get return customers that just need recoats. As this stuff is also easy to recoat and you hardly need any of it. Let me know if you ever have questions about it. I would be happy to help. Peter from WD flooring and Rubio took me under his wing (as he lives here in Minneapolis) and showed me the ropes. I seriously wish every job was a rubio job.


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## InterCounty

adams said:


> I've never used it, it's just not that appealing to me. One coat of anything Is not enough. If it comes up we steer the customer to Waterlox. That stuff is great ! I've seen some floors done with Rubio and they get real dark in the traffic areas because the grain remains open and just absorbs the dirt, and when you mop it, the grain just kinda takes on the mud that your creating while mopping and the floor becomes dark and nasty after a short time. Just my thoughts.


Um, why is there a bottle of Bona in the photo?


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## adamsb

InterCounty said:


> Um, why is there a bottle of Bona in the photo?


That is a before and after pic. The homeowner sanded the floor the first time. It is the old 1x12's he pulled off the house when he tore it down. Anyway we refinished the floors about a month ago. We used Bona Mega, but the he used Rubio the first time. (supposedly)


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## gogreenfloors

Floors look great! Doing my first rubio job this week, very excited to use it. Thanks for the extra tips!


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## RhodesHardwood

No problem. Best of luck to you.


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## Metro M & L

I wasn't too impressed when I read the can. It says you should plan on redoing high traffic areas every year. High traffic areas should also have cardboard covering for first week after installation. So Every Year you have to recoat and then walk on cardboard for a week. Sounds like the old wax coatings to me.


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