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suzan30

floor refinishing botched?

suzan30
10 years ago

I had my floors refinished three years ago. The guy who did it used something that he recommended because it dried quickly. (I can't remember what it was called.) The problem is that the floor is not holding up well at all. There are lots of places where it looks the the finish has rubbed off. And these are not necessarily heavy traffic areas. Any sense of what could have gone wrong? Is my best bet to get the floors finished again? Does it have to all be resanded and sealed?

Thanks!

Comments (6)

  • glennsfc
    10 years ago

    Maybe.

    If the sanding was good...then possibly the existing fragile finish could be screened off to expose new raw wood. But, a determination needs to be made as to what finishing products were used on your floors.

    Best thing would be to remove the existing finish materials and then test for adhesion of the new finish material choice.

  • gregmills_gw
    10 years ago

    Three years is quite sometime for something to pop up if it was the refinisher's error. Youd expect that issues would arise within the first few months.

    But regardless... What type of cleaning have you done and how often?

    With money probably being an issue i would ask a pro out to spot test an area with a standard buff n coat. And then see if that coat adheres nicely. Then based off that it would gice you an idea if resanding is necessary.

    Also. If its locally contained to just a few spots a pro can fix those specific areas get a few coats of finish and then recoat the entire floor.

    Bottom line is you have options.

  • jfcwood
    10 years ago

    Without more information it's hard to say exactly what went wrong. There are cheap, quick-drying finishes that don't wear well. If it's worn down and exposed raw wood it might entail complete refinishing to turn out right.
    If not, the two suggestions made above are spot on but I don't think I would suggest trying to screen off the old finish. Unless there's an adhesion issue you should be able to prepare what you have, do a little remedial work on the worn spots, then coat over it with something more durable. Urethane finishes have to be recoated periodically. The trick is adding a coat before the existing wears through.
    What products do you use to maintain the floor (cleaning, polishing, etc.)?

  • suzan30
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks to all of you for taking the time to answer. I did notice that there was the appearance of "wear" within months of the refinish. The floors were refinished as part of a larger remodel and he didn't come when he was supposed to and was holding up the project, so he said he could use this quick dry stuff. It looked good at first glance and then I began to nice places where the finish was missing. actually thought the floor guy had missed a few spots! I called him several times and he kept promising to take a look, but he never did. Then, I got busy and let it slide. I usually clean with just water and a bit of white vinegar on a bona microfiber mop. Would that be causing the problem? Can anyone recommend a good hardwood floor guy in Chicago? This time I definitely want to get it done right!

  • jfcwood
    10 years ago

    So are the worn spots worn into the wood and discolored? If they're not too bad you might be able to salvage what you have and avoid sanding.

    I doubt the vinegar is the root of your problem. I used to recommend vinegar and water but it's fallen out of favor on wood and tile. I have heard seemingly valid reasons not to use it, but can't recall a specific one right now. I recommend using the Bona cleaner because it's often readily available. There's a very reasonably priced cleaner concentrate I sell from Woodwise. You can buy it on Amazon.

  • gregmills_gw
    10 years ago

    Yeah ive heard the vinegar thing too. Never been told a good reason. My guess is too many people used too high of a concentration of vinegar to water. But who knows. I like the Bona cleaner as well. But its not to be used as an everyday cleaner.

    Your floor guy is suspect. The fact that you had to call multiple times with no response is crazy. I hate the fact that these fools get away with that type of behavior.

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