Water-based poly dries water-clear and can leave wood with a cold look, especially on dark woods like walnut. To get the warm glow of oil-based poly, add a few drops of dye.

Heat and sunlight make bottled water risky, fueling rapid microbial growth and shedding plastic particles, with hidden health impacts.

Q: We want to refinish one of our wood floors with water-based varnish to avoid fumes. Other floors in the house are finished with oil-based varnish, which has a nice amber tone. How can we tone a ...