Our Rubio Monocoat Floors: One Year Later

I cannot believe it has already been a year since we started refinishing the hardwood floors downstairs. While I talked plenty about sanding the hardwoods, I never did write that final post about finishing them with Rubio Monocoat. The entire job stretched out through the spring, and I found myself with only hours of cure time to spare before I hosted a baby shower here at BHH. I was still popping felt pads on the bottoms of furniture legs as the guests were arriving! Since then, I’ve had several inquiries about Rubio. How well is it wearing? How do we clean the floors? Do we like the finish, and would we do it all over again? Now that we have had some time to truly live in the house with the newly refinished floors, I can offer a solid Rubio Monocoat review.

This post contains affiliate links.

Do we like the finish?

Rubio Monocoat is a penetrating sealer with zero shine whatsoever. The lack of shine frequently confuses our guests into believing we did not seal the floors at all. This causes minor panic if they spill a little of their drink or start to walk across the floor in their shoes. More than one person has asked, “When are you putting on the topcoat?” There is no topcoat.

To answer the question, I love the finish in the laundry/office.

There’s a tiny bit of me that thinks the matte finish looks a little less grand in the wide-open space of the foyer, dining room, and living room. That could just be conditioning, though. We are all used to equating shine with fancy or even clean.

I do wish that I had spent a little more time exploring the color choices and combos. While I don’t mind the orange tone of the floors, It would have been nice to knock that brightness down a little.

How is the finish holding up?

A proper Rubio Monocoat review must include this information. I can sum up the answer in one word: Fantastic!

All winter long, we’ve tramped in here with snowy, wet boots, covered in road salt. We’ve spilled drinks, Millie barfed, and the washing machine sprung a leak. What happened to the finish? Absolutely nothing. My number one concern before I chose Rubio was how it would hold up to our abuse. It holds up like a champ.

I do see some nail marks in the areas where Millie lays down regularly, but I also see them upstairs on the poly-covered floors. Her nails have not gouged deeper than the finish, so the boards are still well-protected.

Care and Maintenance

I received an e-mail this week from someone who is planning to have her floors refinished by a professional. She is interested in using Rubio Monocoat, but the pros are telling her that the upkeep and maintenance will be difficult and time-consuming. My experience has been that the floor sealed with Rubio is not more difficult to maintain than poly-covered hardwood.

Here is my method:

• Run the robot vac daily or near-daily to control pet hair. We have the iRobot Roomba 960.
• Wipe up spills with a plain wet rag as needed
• Vacuum with a regular upright vacuum on occasion
• Swiffer with a washable cloth before mopping
• Mop with plain water or special Rubio Monocoat natural soap as needed

I do not take any special care when we enter with wet shoes or salty boots. The dried road salt wipes off easily, and it does not stain the floor. Also, a couple of weeks ago, our washer leaked about a gallon of water on the floor, and I did not notice for hours. Neither the finish nor the floorboards were damaged. It is also worth noting that we still have very few rugs. Most of the floor is still fully exposed throughout the first floor.

Rubio does recommend using its proprietary floor soap, which is very much like Murphy’s oil soap. The difference is that the Rubio floor soap does not leave a residue. I simply dilute it according to the instructions, and I use this excellent bucket and spin mop combo. A few weeks ago on Instagram, I posted some cleaning videos, and I got a bunch of direct messages saying, “Tell me more about that mop and bucket.” Can a mop and bucket be life-changing? Yes, it can. It is a relatively new purchase, and I love it.

Would we use Rubio Monocoat again?

Whether we would use it again might be the most crucial question of any Rubio Monocoat review. My answer is an unequivocal yes. While refinishing floors is backbreaking work, applying the Rubio Monocoat was straightforward. It really is a one-coat (mono) product.

I will let you in on a little secret. I am not the best housekeeper. When I researched whether or not Rubio was right for our project, one of the most influential factors in my decision was whether or not I would have to waste a lot of time maintaining the finish or tip-toeing through the house. I continue to reap the rewards of my bad habits. We spend no extra time caring for the floors, and they still look like a million bucks.

If you have any additional questions about our experience with Rubio Monocoat, feel free to drop them in the comments.

Pin it for later!