I can’t even tell you how GOOD it is to finally be done with the floors! Not just for my sanity, but because I couldn’t wait to share all of the details of the products we chose and how the process went. I’ll be sharing everything about the carpeting upstairs in a post tomorrow, but today I’m going over the process of redoing the hardwood floors and sharing my long awaited Rubio Monocoat review.
**2 year update at the bottom**
All photos are unedited so you can see as close to true colors as possible
How It All Started…
First, let’s rewind. If you’ve been following my Nontoxic Home Updates posts, you know that we moved into a somewhat dated house about 3 years ago with the intent to make it our own and try to keep it as green and nontoxic as we could. This led us to our kitchen renovation last year, which left the floors in rough shape. We had intended on refinishing the floors at some point since they had some wear and tear and the color was dated, but the kitchen project made it more immediate.
Finding A Contractor
The kitchen wrapped up at the end of August and we immediately started on getting quotes to refinish the floors and trying to find a contractor willing to work with a nontoxic product. Easier said than done. Through my research, I settled on Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2c as being my top choice of refinishing product and by searching for Rubio Monocoat locally it led me to some local contractors who use it.
I’ll spare you the details of contractors ghosting us and the one who chickened out after we’d moved all of our furniture out ?♀️ (a lot of that is saved in my Instagram Stories highlights if you want the gory details), but here we are a few months later and we couldn’t be happier with how the floors turned out!
*Some affiliate links are used in this post, which means that I make a small percentage if purchases are made through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support of Maison Pur and the products and research I share here.
Also, this post is NOT sponsored by Rubio Monocoat. We paid for all the products & services ourselves. I did a ton of research before landing on that brand (though I was briefly talked into another product by the contractor who chickened out, but luckily that never came to be) and we’ve been really happy with the results.
Rubio Monocoat Review
Why Rubio Monocoat?
- Zero VOC
- Quick dry time
- It’s easily touched up
- Many colors options
Zero VOC & Quick Dry Time
Of course, the biggest box checked here was having zero VOCs (See their safety data sheet here). Most floor finishing products are on the higher end of the amount of VOCs they contain and though the most severe off-gassing occurs right after application, they can off-gas smaller amounts for months or even years. Because of the off-gassing and how long traditional products take to cure, people generally have to vacate their home for about 10 days while getting their floors finished, but we only had to be gone for a couple of days. The floors were finished fast since it only takes one coat and it cures rather quickly. Within 48 hours we could walk on it with socks on and about 5 days after finishing we started moving some furniture back in.
While it did have an odor when it was applied, it smelled kind of like vegetable oil, instead of a more chemical type scent. The kids said it stunk, but luckily it dissipated quickly.
Texture/sheen
It has a very matte finish, which we love. I’d seen some comments on forums saying the wood looked unfinished or raw after application, but that hasn’t been our experience at all. They definitely feel finished and sealed. While it doesn’t have the hard shell, plastic-y feel that polyurethane gives, it does have a small amount of sheen and reflects some light. It’s incredibly smooth and actually a tiny bit slicker than our old polyurethane finish. Poor Frankie has been sliding some on it, but he’s gotten his sea legs and walks fine on it now.
After researching, it seems that sanding and buffing techniques go a long way with this product so I highly recommend using a contractor who is familiar with the product or if you’re more the DIY type, I would be sure to read up on best techniques for Rubio Monocoat.
Rubio Monocoat Colors
So many colors to choose from and you can combine any to make a custom mix. Several other cool effects can be used which will give a different finish, like smoking the floors, water popping, and more.
We went with the color Black (see it in both the 2nd down and the bottom square in the above picture), which is actually more of a mid-toned brown color. So many people voted for Ash Grey (3rd down in picture) on Instagram and I really wanted to go with that one, but ultimately it looked very purplish in our lighting. We’ve had gray paint look lavender on that side of the house, so I was disappointed but not surprised. I will say that we LOVE how the Black turned out and I think it’s more of a classic color that will stand the test of time.
You can order color samples and, as I learned, it’s best to test it in the lighting and on the wood it will be used on.
Durability & Dog-Friendliness
We are about 4 weeks in and so far, we’re very pleased with how durable it is. Even with kids playing and the dog’s nails, we haven’t had any noticeable scratches yet. We had tons of scratches on the old finish from Frankie’s nails. He just takes off running and plays hard which always seemed to leave scratches in the shiny polyurethane, so we’re pleased we haven’t had that issue with the new finish thus far. Even with moving furniture back in, we haven’t had any scratches or marks left behind.
Dog drool seems to be a big problem for Rubio Monocoat, with many people complaining of permanent black or gray spots left behind. Frankie doesn’t drool much at all, although each time he drinks water he dribbles it everywhere. I keep his water dish in the mudroom which is tiled and have been diligent about wiping up any water dribbled into the kitchen, but it’s unavoidable that some will get left behind. So far no dark spots, but the entrance into the kitchen has some slightly duller, though not very noticeable, spots now that I suspect is from him dribbling on the floor within the first week of application and it’s not really supposed to be exposed to water during that first week.
My only complaint durability-wise is that without the “plastic shield” that polyurethane gives, it is harder to clean some things out of the wood grain. Specifically, we’ve had an issue with paint getting stuck in the grain after some accidental drips while repainting some wall areas. The grain is sealed with the oil, but I just can’t get into the grooves of the grain to clean it all the way out. I hope that makes sense!
Touch Ups
One of the best things about Rubio Monocoat is that unlike traditional floor finishes, you can touch it up anytime and it blends in seamlessly. High traffic areas can be sanded and touched up. Scratches and other marks can be touched up as well. Any stains (like the dog drool stains) can be sanded and touched up. Only open wood grain accepts more of the oil finish so the sealed areas around your touch up won’t absorb more finish or get any darker.
Cleaning
After the first week you can spot clean with a damp cloth and after 3 weeks you can mop the floors using the Rubio Monocoat soap, which is sold as a concentrate that is diluted and you can use it in a spray bottle or bucket. I use it in a mop with a sprayer attachment.
Overall Thoughts On Rubio Monocoat
We are very pleased with how it turned out. I LOVE the matte finish and the wood looks much more vibrant now. My mom commented that it reminded her of the old oil finished floors in Boston when she was growing up and she loves the texture. We’ve been living on, spilling on, and even running on our new floors for nearly a month and so far, we highly recommend this finish!
As always, feel free to comment below or send me an email if there’s something I didn’t cover in my Rubio Monocoat Review. Redoing floors is no small task and if you’re like me you probably have tons of questions you want to have answered before pulling the trigger! And check out my Earth Weave Carpet review here.
**2 year Rubio Monocoat Review update**
We still LOVE this floor finish. It’s held up really nicely. We’ve had no issues with dog drool leaving any marks, as some have complained of. If the floors start to look dull, a quick mop with their cleaner has them looking like new again. Everyone who comes over tells us how much they like the unique look and silky feel of the wood. I mentioned initially that the floors are a little slick for Frankie. Over time, he’s learned to dig his claws in for traction if he’s playing or running around the house. So we have started seeing some light scratches. On the bright side, they’re not deep and seem to disappear a bit when I mop.
Interesting post Molly! My friend recently used Rubio Monocoat on her floors and they look so beautiful in her home and in yours! I love that you can order color samples, so I think I’m going to try those out on a piece of our scrap wood flooring before I commit to going through with it. I know you mentioned that you can mop floors using the Rubio Monocoat soap, but can you use just a regular floor cleaner? I usually just get my floor cleaned by a local wood floor cleaner every six months and they do a good job, but I don’t know if I could still use them after this. What would you advise doing?
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for reading! I love that you can try samples in your home too! According to the Rubio Monocoat site, they only advise using their cleaning product as it won’t strip the finish. That said, I’m sure there are other safe products out there to use, but I haven’t personally tried any other cleaning products on it yet.
HI! Im glad I found your blog. We just got samples of minwax stain put on our floors today and the smell is nose hair burning. That can’t be healthy. Im really excited about this product. How did you find a contractor who was familiar with the product? Thanks for sharing!
Hi Kailene, This is a much better product and it’s safe to breathe the air after it’s applied as well! We had the best luck by searching online for Rubio Monocoat locally as it led me to some local contractors who use it. So for me, I googled “Rubio Monocoat Charlotte NC”. That brought up a list of local contractors who had mentioned that product in their site. Hope that makes sense! Thanks, Molly
Hi I’m so glad to find your site. We are also refinishing our floors and I’ve found a local contractor who does Rubio monocoat staining. May I ask what wood is your floor? We have red oak, and I’m not sure whether Black would look the same on our floor. Thanks!
Hi! I’m glad you found it too! We have red oak flooring as well, so this should be pretty representative of the Black color on red oak. Thanks for reading!
How has the finish held up? Have you noticed any change in the color?
It’s held up very nicely! No changes in color and cleans really easily with their cleaner. At the end of this month, it will be a year since we’ve had them finished. I’ll update this post officially then, but we’ve been very happy!
Hello, I am just seeing this and we are getting ready to use Rubio on our cabin floors. Can you let me know the colors you tested in the picture? I know the name of the color you chose but I couldn’t see which color was represented in each swatch.
Hi Brooke! The other colors shown are charcoal (the super dark one), Ash Gray (the medium tone), and sky gray (the white-ish looking one). I also have some labeled closeups in my Instagram story Highlights. It’s in the Highlight labeled “Renovations”.
I’ve been researching wood floor stains for weeks now in preparation for our hardwood floor refinishing project and I’ve been putting off actually trying them on our floor but after hearing that one of your finishes looked purple I think I probably should just take the extra step to make sure we choose the right one. Thank you for sharing your expertise!
Hi there, we recently purchased an old house that has the same orangey 1 1/2″ red oak floors throughout. We also wanted something low or no VOCs and decided upon Rubio Monocoat 2C after much research. Love the natural matte finish and how you can touch up stains and scratches on your own. Your floors look lovely. And the unedited photos were immensely helpful in narrowing down colours. We are also going with “Black” as it can look modern but also stand the test of time. We have an installer that has worked with Osmo Oil, but not Rubio, so just had a few questions. Did you use Rubio’s Raw Wood Cleaner and water pop prior to applying the Monocoat 2C? Lastly, how have the floors held up? Thanks very much!
Hi, Sounds like you have a very similar situation as we did! We didn’t opt for water popping and to my knowledge, I don’t believe they did any prep aside from sanding off the old finish. They were experienced with Rubio Monocoat but seemed to rush through it a bit. Can’t complain since it turned out well. It’s held up well over time and maintenance has been very easy!
Sorry I’m just seeing this, but yes! I highly recommend testing an area first. We were surprised by how they looked on the wood. Good luck with your project!
Thanks very much, Molly! Your insights have really been very helpful!
If you have dark spots from dog saliva or anything else buy a bottle of rubio tanin remover. It works perfectly! We used rubio in our last house and will do again in this one. It costs about $100 but will last for years. Your floors are beautiful!
That’s a great tip! We haven’t had issues, but some readers may so I appreciate you sharing that!
Thank you for this great review. I’m considering Rubio monocoat for my floor refinishing next month. You mentioned that you have used soap for maintenance but have you used their Renew product? It seems like that helps with scratches and maintenance.
Hi Allison,
We haven’t tried the renew product, though it looks like it’s a good one to refresh/repair them!