Q: I recently sanded and refinished a hardwood floor (oil based polyurethane was used). It has ‘beads’ of poly along the interface between two adjacent boards. This occurred on the old flooring and also on some new flooring. Why did this occur? How do I remove the polyurethane beads?
A: Refer to Stop Polyballs (Poloplaz) Article.
Similar Q: We recently moved into a newly renovated home with hardwood floors. After only being here for two months, we are noticing certain areas of the floor have the adhesive seeping up through the cracks. Why might that be happening and how can we remove it?
A: Are you sure it is adhesive? If this is a floor finished with polyurethane it could be a rare condition called poly beads. This happens when the finish goes into cracks between boards. Devoid of air to help it dry it remains soft. When warm, more humid temperatures arrive the boards may expand slightly pushing the soft finish to the surface. If this is what is happening, all you can do is carefully scrape it off (with a screw driver for instance) until it stops.
Follow-up: Thank you so much for the fast reply.. I think you are definitely right. It seemed to come off safely with the help of a screw driver. Really appreciate your help!
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