Can someone verify my refinished floor should feel like sandpaper

11 years ago

Hi,

Found this site when trying to figure out whether to believe my floor guy who just refinished my floors. We took down a wall between our dining room and kitchen. We had new hardwood installed in our kitchen and they feathered it in with the existing hardwood in our dining room. Now our entire first floor is hardwood. They sanded all of the 1st floor hardwood. Because the original hardwood is 70 yrs. old, they stained the new hardwood to match the old, unstained hardwood (white oak), and now have applied 2 coats of oil based poly on everything. We've been out of the house for 3 nights - Wed. was the stain, let it dry, Thurs - 1st coat of poly, dry, Fri - 2nd coat - dry. It's Saturday morning and we're allowed back into the house. They're planning on doing a final coat of poly once our new island is installed and the painting is finished.

So, I walk into the house this morning and everything looks great. I go over to one area which has the new hardwood, and with the sunlight shining on it, it looks like sandpaper. I run my hand across, it feels like sandpaper. And we're not talking 300 grit, more like 80 grit sandpaper. If you look closely, you can see a couple of short hairs in the poly, in addition to all of the bumps. This one area is the worst part of the house. In some of the other areas, it's a little rough, but nothing like this one section (although I haven't looked closely at the whole floor).

I sent a quick email to the floor guy and he said not to worry, that it all be ok once done the final finish.

Should I worry? Should I get a 2nd opinion? Could it be because the stain wasn't completely dry before they put the first coat on? Or that they didn't remove the dust after sanding a coat and put on another coat? They used one of those dustless machines when they originally sanded, and I was impressed with how little dust was escaping the machine, but I would have thought they still should have removed the dust prior to staining and/or putting on the poly?

Thoughts and suggestions would be most appreciated.

Dixie

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Comments (6)

Fori
11 years ago
I would wait until it's done. It won't be any harder to strip and redo with the final coat on, should that be necessary.

But it's too soon to worry! Be brave... :)
User
11 years ago
I disagree.

Sanding the rough spots smooth should be done before the final coat. The final coat is the final coat----nothing more should need to be done.
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Fori
11 years ago
I guessed that they just hadn't done that step yet. But of course one can't tell from here.
windycitylindy
11 years ago
When we had new floors installed, the installers did two coats of finish and then came back weeks later (after remodel was done) to do the final coat. The floor was very smooth after those first two coats. I would definitely ask about it and perhaps ask another floor finisher to take a look at it.
salem1772
11 years ago
Many years ago my husband, then boyfriend, had his hardwoods refinished, and after he'd paid the floor man, I came over for a look. It was perfectly awful! I could not believe he had paid for the job. Grit, hairs, and other nastiness all sealed forever under coats of finish. What a waste! Later, we married, and now this is my house too, and I long for the day we bite the bullet and have these floors refinished properly.

Don't settle for anything less than perfection. I grind my teeth every time I clean the floors. . .
AboutToGetDusty
11 years ago
My floors felt like sandpaper...so I insisted the floor guy put another coat on top...voila. Fixed!