Serious question about using water-based polyurethane on trim work

Last week I did a full kitchen trim job in a house near downtown Columbus, and I used water-based poly like everyone says to. Over 3 days I did 4 coats and it still feels tacky in the humidity. I used to do oil-based stuff back in 2021 and never had this problem, but I switched because everyone online acted like water-based was the only way to go. Has anyone else had this issue or did I just pick a bad brand?

3 comments

3 Comments

milaw143d ago

Gotta chime in here because I had the EXACT same problem last spring when I did my own baseboards. Those online forums make water-based poly sound like magic but nobody warns you that humidity turns it into a nightmare. I used a brand that was supposed to be top rated and even after waiting 4 hours between coats like the can said, it stayed tacky for a full week. Ended up having to sand it all down and start over with a different brand that had better flow out in damp weather. Might be worth checking the humidity levels when you apply next time - anything over 70% and you're basically fighting a losing battle with that stuff.

the_xena3d ago

Disagree @milaw14, user error is way more common than bad poly.

black.jake3d ago

Had a buddy use water-based poly on a humid day and his floors looked like a sticky mess for two weeks.