These finishes are best when you need quick drying and extra durability. Water based finishes dry in 2 hours, they give your floor a lighter color in their natural state, and the finish has less smell while the finish is drying. Brands of water based like Traffic from Bona Kemi gives you extra durability over polyurethane. The biggest drawback of water based is the cost. You must lay 3 coats of water based, so we charge our 3 coat polyurethane price.