Bona Mega ONE Review
Bona Mega ONE Review
Wood floors are some of the installations that can stand the test of time. In fact, you can find buildings that are over a century old still having the original wood floor that had been installed. All that’s needed is proper care. Regular sweeping, mopping, sanding and refinishing as needed preserves the structural integrity of the wood. The longevity of these installations has seen tenants and property buyers willing to fork out more money for residential and commercial spaces with hardwood floors. They’re in such high demand that they increase the real estate value of the property. It goes beyond the sturdy nature. The natural beauty of the wood floors, from the hue of the species used to the grain patterns and the finishes that it can be treated with add to the décor of the premises. Whether you’re going for a traditional rustic look, a contemporary finish or a minimalist touch, there are numerous combinations you can use to achieve the desired effect. From picking the hardwood to have installed, the wood stain that is to be applied or lacquers that enhance that original look and feel, to the desired sheen since the lacquers have varying gloss levels – it all comes into focus. Wood, both solid and engineered wood floors, are also easier to clean and maintain, since they don’t lock in dirt like other flooring materials. Dealing with dirt and spills on wood takes a fraction of the time that one would require if the same was on carpeting – which adds to their appeal. Acoustics are also superb here, as long as the subfloor has properly been prepared. You won’t hear hollow sounds, as is a common complaint with laminate floors. Lacquers come in to enable you to enjoy these benefits for long – and you can get that with the Bona Mega ONE.
Dangers Faced By Your Wood Floor
There are plenty of things that the wood floor needs protection from. First off is the foot traffic. As one walks on the floor, there is friction that is generated between the soles of the shoes, and the surface of the floor. While the effect is barely noticeable for one individual over a short time, when there are multiple people walking around in the facility for extended durations, then the floor will gradually fade. The effect is more pronounced when there is soiling on the floor, such as when people track in dirt from the outdoors. This, coupled with the dust and other particulate matter that is already accumulating on the floor, get grinded against the surface, increasing the wear effect. Floor areas that typically handle higher levels of traffic, such as the corridors in the facility, rooms like the kitchen, all through to under the dining table, will have accelerated rates of fading. Traffic lanes negatively affect the rest of the décor, due to their differences with the surrounding sections. Treatments like the Bona Mega ONE aid in protecting the floor from the wearing down that is witnessed due to this.
Spills are another aspect that is bound to affect floors. After all, they are usually accidents and are a part of life. The occasional coffee mug that gets kicked from the breakfast table, that wine glass that topples over during date night, the kids spilling their yoghurt and milk, cosmetic products like nail polish that drips onto the floor – they can easily stain the surface, creating unsightly spots that contrast with the rest of the surrounding. Depending on the chemical makeup of the particular spill, there will also be risks posed to the wood itself, from discolouration to corrosion of the wood tissue. Applying finish coats that provide a barrier of protection is key, especially formulations with a high chemical resistance that will ward off the effects of the spills.
Scratches are also a concern. This can be caused by a myriad of things – from minuscule marks by furniture when it is moved, kids using the floor as a road for their toy car races or setting up a train track for their toy trains, all through to pets whose sharp claws can leave the floor riddled with scratches. Granted, the wood floor is bound to get scratches over time – but that doesn’t mean that you allow it to be at an accelerated rate. Floor finishes that increase the resistance to scratches and scuff marks are key to keep your installation looking good for longer. Remember that many deep scratches on the floor are only removed by a round of sanding, and the floor has a limited number of times in which it can be successfully sanded and refinished. Failing to take proactive measures to protect the floor will reduce its lifespan, and you end up being forced to replace it much sooner. Fortunately, you can acquire cost-friendly products that will give your floor long-lasting protection. Here, we will take a look at one of the popular formulations in the market – Bona Mega ONE, and what you can expect from it.
Benefits Of The Bona Mega ONE
- All-in-one formulation
This formulation comes packed and ready to be used on the floor without any extra mixing or diluting required. It is a primer and top coat all in one unit, so you get to simply pour it onto the floor surface and treat the installation. Since additional resources aren’t required, it adds to the speed of getting the task done.
- Fast drying
The Bona Mega ONE coat applied onto the floor will have dried within an hour, after which you can abrade the surface and add an extra coat if needed. This has proven to be particularly beneficial to contractors carrying out the floor renovation projects, since they are able to get the task done faster. It also helps in reducing downtime for busy commercial establishments.
- The finish that lasts
From its superior build, a filling power that exceeds the industrial average, enhanced levelling that gives you the desired finish quality, to the scuff resistance nature of the product, as well as the non-yellowing effect – it all comes together to make the Bona Mega ONE a superior performance product. It has been particularly developed for use in domestic environments and commercial establishments with medium levels of traffic.
The Bona Mega ONE also comes with high chemical resistance, thus protecting your floor from being corroded by spills that wind up on it. This is particularly important in preserving the beauty and structural integrity of the wood boards, giving your floor a longer life. Whether you’re using the lacquer on newly installed floors, or are carrying a renovation task, it will deliver on its mandate.
- Making sanding easier
Since there won’t be any clogging within the formulation applied on the floor, the abrasives used for the light sanding in-between subsequent coats will last for longer, which is a welcome bonus in saving your time and money. You can work with the Bona FlexiSand for the intermediate abrasion in between the coats being applied.
- Safe for indoor air
The impact of floor finishes on indoor air is a priority for consumers, manufacturers and environmental groups. In fact, the quality of the indoor air is one of the leading environmental threats to human health according to the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency. You don’t want issues like eye irritation, nasal and throat irritation, dizziness, headaches, allergic reactions and similar effects from the finishes that are applied onto the floor. Indoor pollutants can also trigger asthma attacks, exacerbate reproductive and developmental issues, and even increase cancer risks especially with prolonged exposure. The conventional solvent-based agents were notorious for increasing the concentration of harmful fumes into the indoor air space. Fortunately, with the Bona Mega ONE lacquer, this will not be a cause for concern – and it has the certification to prove it.
You’ll notice the GREENGUARD label on the packaging of the Bona Mega ONE. This is from the Greenguard Environmental Institute, which is a non-profit organization that carries out certification programs that are recognized worldwide. Established in 2001 by Air Quality Sciences, Inc, it is now under UL Environment, and for products to pass its tests they need to meet strict emission limits for over 10,000 chemicals. This is not a one-time event. For the products to maintain the certification, they are taken through annual tests, and hundreds of manufacturers participate in the program voluntarily, with more than 200,000 products going through it. The testing is carried out in dynamic environmental chambers where the temperature levels and humidity are strictly controlled. The products – from furniture items to cleaning formulations and floor treatment products like the Bona Mega ONE we’re looking at here – are kept in these chambers for varying durations, which can last anywhere from a day to weeks. During this duration, the amount of particulates and chemicals gassed off are assessed.
The GREENGUARD certification is relied on by architects, building professionals, consumers and flooring contractors to ascertain the safety of the formulation in question. When products that come carrying this label are used for the various applications within the building, they are already proven to be safe as they won’t pollute the indoor air with dangerous levels of chemicals and particulate matter. As such, when you have the Bona Mega ONE applied in your home or commercial space, you can rest assured that the occupants of the building will not be at risk.
How To Use The Bona Mega ONE
This waterborne lacquer has been formulated to make work easier for the personnel carrying out the treatment process, and yield quality results faster. Let’s go through the application process.
- Preparing the floor
The first step is getting all the dirt and existing coats of treatment off the floor. It needs to be sanded and cleaned, to enable the Bona Mega ONE to bond strongly with the wood itself. For the sanding, you can work with equipment like Bona Flexisand or Bona Belt. Give the floor a thorough wash and allow it to dry before proceeding.
- The Application
For this, you can use tools like the Bona Roller.
- With a smooth flowing motion, spread the Bona Mega ONE lacquer over the floor. Alternate between going across and along with the wood grain, while maintaining a wet wedge with the roller. The roller enables you to avoid having sections where the product accumulates, while the latter is key in avoiding overlaps.
- Allow the product to dry before adding another layer of the Bona Mega ONE. Usually, this waiting period is just one hour. However, if more coats are needed, a longer drying time will need to be allowed before each subsequent coat.
Before applying an additional layer of the Bona Mega ONE, the previous one needs to be lightly sanded. This is carried out with fine abrasives, like the grit 120 Bona Diamond Abrasives. Due to the lacquer’s unique properties, there won’t be clogging, allowing the abrasives to last for longer. Remember to vacuum away the dust generated during this sanding process. You can also use a Bona dusting pad to remove the sanding dust.
- Restoring normalcy
Light foot traffic can be allowed back onto the area 8 hours after the final Bona Mega ONE coat has been applied.
Give the floor at least five days to cure before you load heavy objects onto it, or cover it with carpets. During this time, you should also avoid damp mopping.
Extra tip: Given that the atmospheric conditions will directly impact the drying process, it is recommended that you apply the Bona Mega ONE in temperatures of 18-25°C and a relative air humidity of 30-60%. These are the optimal conditions that yield the most ideal results.
Points to note when applying the Bona Mega ONE:
- Before treating the floor, ensure that it has acclimatized to the end-use environment. This is especially for the new installations, where the floorboards should be given sufficient time to first stabilise with the temperature and humidity conditions of the area.
- The Bona Mega ONE should not be applied in temperatures that are below 13°C.
- It is recommended that you only apply a maximum of two coats of the waterborne lacquer per day. This is to avoid cases of excessive wood swelling.
- While one of the main advantages of the Bona Mega ONE is that you won’t need a primer for the task, this will be imperative for floors that come with sidebonding risks. These are the likes of softwood plant floors, end grain floors, as well as the hardwood floors that have underfloor heating. Here, a primer will be needed before using the Bona Mega ONE.
Protecting Floors Since 1919
Bona, the brand behind the Mega ONE, has been providing floor care products since 1919. It all started when Wilhelm Edner saw the potential that one of the products in his Malmö grocery shop had – bonvax. While coffee was the favourite product being sold there, the bonvax was used on floors to give them a protective coat and a polished effect. He chose to incorporate Bona AB, which dealt exclusively in floor care solutions, and it has grown to become a world leader in the niche.
Products from Bona are used across the board – from treating new installations to give them the desired protective and aesthetic attributes, formulations to repair damages to the floor, all through to agents that freshen up the surface and revitalise it, giving it a new look. Through the lifespan of the company, it has been behind key innovations in the industry. For instance, Bona was one of the first companies to use water-based floor finishes, which didn’t have the hazardous agents typical with the prevalent finishes back in the 1970s. In fact, the company was the first to have a full system of water-based floor finishing agents that were certified as safe for indoor air quality. The company also contributed to the push for the adoption of dust containment systems used during the sanding jobs, due to the health risks posed by the dust generated during the process.
Bona also emphasises on sustainable approaches to floor care. This can be seen with the very first Bona Mega generation that was launched in 1995. This particular line was based on renewable raw materials, using vegetable oils as the ingredients. When these are applied onto the floor, they crosslink after interacting with oxygen around them. This results in a strong finish that delivers the required protection, while having a minimum impact on the environment. Preserving resources is also a part of sustainable processes, where the focus is on delivering a formulation that will have superior durability and prolonged lifespan on the floor, to minimise the need for renovation – and this can be clearly seen with the Bona Traffic range of products. The R&D investments by the company continues to deliver different solutions to meet the diverse consumer needs.
The performance of the Bona products has seen them being used across the board – from hotels and restaurants, airports and indoor sporting arenas, art galleries, hospitals, all through to schools and public institutions. With a track record of over 100 years of meeting consumer expectations, and a presence in over 90 countries around the world, by using lacquers like the Bona Mega ONE you can rest assured that you are getting value for your money.
Getting The Right Lacquer For Your Floor Treatment
- Finish type
There are various kinds of formulations that can be used to treat the floor. These form protective coatings, and have their merits and demerits when it comes to their performance during application, level of protection, to the longevity that they provide. Take shellac finishes for instance. They are relatively inexpensive, and one can easily apply them onto the surface. However, due to their lower levels of durability, there will be frequent recoating needed, and they are not compatible with other contemporary finishes such as polyurethane, so one can only do the top coating with existing shellac finishes. Wax, on the other hand, has been used on wood floors for centuries and is also easy to apply. However, the popularity of wax finishes has been on a decline due to their higher susceptibility to staining and the need to be regularly reapplied to protect the floor – and also the fact that for a new coat to be applied, the existing one must be completely removed.
With moisture-cured urethane finishes a very fast drying time is witnessed, but on the negative side, one is forced to contend with high VOC levels – in fact so high that this is not recommended or DIY applications, and the pets and homeowners need to leave the premises while the application is being carried out. Moreover, the fumes from these applications can remain in the airspace for weeks. Then you have polyurethane finishes which are widely used today. These are categorised into oil-based and water-based polyurethanes. These feature prolonged durability, and with the water-based finishes there’s a fast dry time, and they won’t yellow over time. The choice of floor finish that you go for will depend on your budget, the durability of the product, as well as the time frame in which you have to complete the project – as is seen with the Bona Mega ONE that allows for mid-abrasion in 1 hour. Even the environmental impact of the product also factors in, for you to work with a solution that gives you the desired protection without increasing your carbon footprint.
- Impact on the indoor air quality
Did you know that the indoor air is typically 2-5 times more polluted compared to the outdoor air? This is according to studies by the EPA, which even indicated that there are cases where it gets to 100 times more. With people spending around 90% of their time indoors, concerns about the impact of exposure to the pollutants are high. The airborne chemicals have different sources, from furniture, mouldy dirt, to paint and building materials. Issues like soiled interiors and poor ventilation exacerbate the situation. When it comes to floor treatment, you want to work with products that are formulated to reduce the risks involved.
Here, look at the product label to check for the certification that the product has received in regards to the safety of its use for the indoor environment. Be particularly keen on the certification from independent third-party organisations which have global recognition, such as the Greenguard Certification Program, or DIBt used in the EU. These are trusted programs that are relied on by architects, builders to floor maintenance crews, and have stringent standards that need to be met for the products to pass their tests. Here, the goal is to avoid cases where your interior space gets choked up by chemicals like volatile organic compounds, which will put the health of the household occupants at risk.
Maintaining Surfaces Treated With The Bona Mega ONE
After investing in the lacquer to protect your floor for the long haul, caring for it is a part of the process that will keep it looking in optimal condition. This mainly entails routine cleaning, to get rid of the dirt and grime that build up on the surface. After all, you don’t want your floor getting degraded because of soiling that was allowed to accumulate on the surface, or stains that dwelled on the floor for too long. The solutions used for the cleaning tasks matter. Here, you want to work with agents that are safe for application on the wood floor. Fortunately, Bona has got you covered with different products. For instance, you can use the Bona Cleaner or Bona Wood Floor Cleaner for the task.
With wood floors, the approach used during the cleaning has a direct effect on the longevity of the installation, as well as the aesthetic results obtained from applying the Bona Mega ONE on it. There are common mistakes witnessed during cleaning tasks that are a threat to the installations being worked on. Take using bleach-based solutions for instance. It’s a common DIY hack for dealing with stubborn stains around the household. However, when it comes to the hardwood floors, that can cause permanent discolouration. Hydrogen peroxide falls in a similar category, though it’s not as potent as bleach. A simple overestimation in the amount of hydrogen peroxide used when preparing it for the cleaning tasks can lead to it discolouring the treated surface. Another acidic agent that is common for DIY cleaning tasks is lemon juice. It can ruin the beauty and integrity of the wood floor, especially when large amounts of the solutions are used. It dulls the finish, wearing it down and making your floor more susceptible to damage. This counteracts the protective attributes that were delivered when the Bona Mega ONE was spread onto the surface. Gentle and safe solutions from Bona are recommended for dealing with the floor cleaning so as not to weaken the protection obtained when the lacquer was applied.
What of vinegar? This highly touted clean agent for tackling stubborn spots in the household is not safe for use on the hardwood floor. Its main effect is causing the surface to become dull, which is certainly not what you want after you have invested your time and effort to achieve the desired result with the Bona Mega ONE lacquer. What’s more, prolonged use of vinegar on the floor damages the material, and it should thus be reserved for other surfaces like the windows and sinks whose materials will not be harmed by its chemical formulation. Ammonia too, despite its many uses for cleaning tasks, should not be applied onto the wood floor. Not only does it corrode the protective finishes that are applied, but it also ends up dissolving the lignin in the wood, weakening the structural integrity of the installation.
Water usage during cleaning tasks also needs some caution. Sure, water is a natural cleaning agent and won’t corrode the wood – but that’s not where the issue lies. Wood itself is hygroscopic, meaning it will readily absorb the excess water from its environment. This is also why you shouldn’t allow spills to remain on the surface for long, but rather attend to them as soon as possible. As more water is soaked up by the wood tissue, it can result in issues such as cupping or warping. When cleaning the floor, use a damp mop, not sloshing out the cleaning agent all over the surface. Tools like microfibre mops are handy in reducing the amount of cleaning solution required for the tasks, while others like spray mops ensure that only little amounts of solution are misted out onto the floor at a time. This enables the mopping to be carried out without putting the wood floor at risk.
The conventional soap and water system used for cleaning tasks around the house can prove to be problematic as well. This is usually because it leads to too much water being required for the rinsing process. Moreover, soap usually leaves behind a filmy residue on the floor, which dulls the shine from the lacquer used, acts as a dirt magnet and can even result in the surface becoming slippery. Sticking to the wood floor cleaners from established brands like Bona will enable you to deal with the stubborn grime without creating a myriad of problems. For steam cleaning, avoid it altogether. The heat and water will accelerate issues like wood rot, permanently damaging your floor, and require the affected boards to be replaced.
To keep the surface looking elegant over time, you can also overcoat it with more lacquer. All that is needed is a light sanding to smoothen out the surface and remove the scuffs and scratches, then proceed to apply the additional coat.
Extra Tip: You can increase the duration in between the subsequent overcoating sessions by periodically treating the floor with formulations like the Bona Wood Floor Refresher or the Bona Freshen Up. These come in to revitalise the surface, taking away that dull state that results from years of wear, giving it a fresh new look. This has the welcome benefit of enabling your wood floor to last even longer, since the frequency of whole renovation tasks will be reduced as you won’t need to sand through to the bare wood and refinish the floor.