Floor finish shiny in some areas and not in others

Q: I just refinished my wood floor with pro oil base satin and the floor looked shiny in some areas and not in others. An uneven finish or uneven sheen. So, I redid the floor and still have the problem.. what causes the floor to shine in certain areas and not others?

A: Possible causes: finish not stirred well enough to disperse the flattener. Uneven film thickness when coating, thus depositing more flattener in some areas and not enough in others. The flattening agent is suppose to drop to the bottom of the film. In those areas that are shiny, it either set up too quickly so that it couldn’t or it wasn’t mixed up well enough. Mix really well and try a roller.

Related Q: How do I make my newly oil based polyurethaned hardwood floor look uniform in sheen, across the floor? A couple of boards look glossier than the rest of the floor. It looked gorgeous when it was wet but now that it’s dry that’s not the case.

A: If you used a satin or semi gloss you have to stir it well to mix in the agent used as a flattener. The best product I’ve used that requires little mixing is Poloplaz Primero. If this is a gloss you are using then it may simply mean those less shiny boards were not sanded as smooth and may need another coat of finish.

Related Q: I just had all of my hardwood floors sanded down in our rental house. Originally, I asked the contractor to stain them a walnut color. They did a small section of the floor and it looked horrible. It looked like a fire had come through with streaks and some of the flooring looking like it didn’t even accept the Minwax stain. So, they went back over with sandpaper and sanded it off. Then they did 2 coats of Polyurethane in a satin finish. The floor now looks shiny in patches and dull in other patches. What needs to be done to make it all even?

A: It sounds like they didn’t stir the satin finish enough. This needs to be screened with a polisher or otherwise sanded with a fine abrasive and another coat applied. If you could get some Poloplaz Primero you will have no issues with that finish. www.poloplaz.com

Related Q: We sanded the old floors in our house. Then we put 3 coats of poly on, letting them dry 7-8 hours in between coats. Now parts look shiny and glossy and other parts looks dull! What do we do?

A: When the finish is dry you will have to buff or abrade it thoroughly with a fine abrasive and apply another thin coat. You have applied a satin or semi-gloss, and it appears you did not adequately stir it to mix in the paste that kills the shine. If you could get hold of some Poloplaz Primero or Supreme your chances of success will increase significantly.