I've decided on unfinished Santos Mahogany in the home we are building and was wondering what experience any of you have with it. We live in Virginia with 2 kids (under 2 years) and 2 dogs (that will be kept off of the floor until their nails are short enough). We would like to see as much grain and color variation as possible while having a very durable finish. With the climate, I'm alittle worried about expansion/contraction issues.

I'm thinking of having water-based semi-gloss so it's not too flat yet not too showroom looking. There will be plenty of natural light on the floors. I've heard of some installers having problems with the Santos because of it being an"oily" wood. Any comments or help is much appreciated.

Yep, the oils in the south american woods can cause finishing problems but mostly for solvent based finishes. The waterbased finishes appear to perform and adhere better. Not all are the same however and you need to research the finishing system thoroughly. Most waterbornes recommend their particular sealer. One other option is to use Zinsser's Seal Coat (a wax-free shellac) as the sealer and then apply just about any floor finish you wish. This acts as a bonding agent, enhances the color of the wood and blocks any oils in the wood from reacting with the finish. Highly recommended by many finishers in the know.

Thanks a lot Gary. I'll check out the Zinssers as getting the most out of the wood's look is a high priority. Do you have any experience with expansion or contraction with Santos? I've heard it is less susceptible than most woods, but I'm not sure. I plan on acclimating the wood for 2 weeks with the house's full heat working, but that is all I know to do. Thanks again for the help.

Read this about Santos:
http://www.wflooring.com/Technical_Info ... santos.htm