Q: I have a professional refinishing my solid oak wood floors. They have been sanded once and then stained. It’s been over a week and the floors are still tacky. Also there are still stains, and I noticed some bad scratches. I know he’s not finished, but I would have thought that after the initial sanding more of the stains and the scratches would have been eliminated and the color through out would have been more consistent. The floor is rough feeling, doesn’t feel like it has been sanded.
A: The stain is still sticky? Are you sure this was a professional job? Did he not apply the stain and then wipe off the excess, which must be done? The floors may have to be wiped down with rags and mineral spirits to remove the excess. Don’t leave the rags laying about after- fire hazard. As for scratches and stains it is hard to know for sure what will sand out and what won’t until the sanding actually begins. Pet stains can be very deep and the only way to get rid of them is to replace the boards.
Related Q: We have tried to re-finish our hardwood floor. We did all the sanding and repairs. We started to stain the floor, but we did not remove the extra stain. Now it has been 8 hours and still looks shiny and wet. How do we fix the extra amount on the floor?
A: You will have to go in with a lot of wiping rags and a gallon of mineral spirits. Wet the cloth with spirits and remove the stain sitting on the surface. Make sure there are no sources of ignition and dispose of the rags safely lest they self combust.