Q: 1500 SF, 2 Coats of Poloplaz fast dry sealer down on stained Hickory. Licensed floor refinisher did not clean the stained floor, so the sealer is full of grit and some hairs. I need to abrade this floor now by hand because the floor is not flat. Tried 17″ rotary but it hits high places and damages the stain below, to raw wood in some places.
So, tell me if I’m right. I let the sealer fully cure. I did this before starting to abrade so I could cut down cautiously to get the grit out, but not hit the stain below. (Which is Sher-wood SW BAC wiping stain buffed into the wood. A fragile stain.) I am using 150 grit by hand on 1500 sf. You can imagine how angry I am at the so-called floor pro.
It will take several days to do this sanding, before applying finish. If the sealer is cured before I abrade will the sealer still retain its “tooth” even many days later? It will be days after that I can apply the poly finish to the areas I sanded first.
A: The fast dry sealer is a good product, though it doesn’t really live up to the name ‘fast dry’. It is tough. I’ve never cut through it with a screen even though it is not high build. It is polyurethane. Tough to predict whether buffing and then leaving the floor will still allow good bond. It is polyurethane. It still takes two or three weeks to fully cure. So, if it is still curing and you leave it for days after buffing the answer might be no. Why not use one of these new buffing pads Norton created or a maroon pad with sandpaper strips on it. When you are ready, give it a fast polish, good cleanup and coat, keeping an eye open for any low spots you may have missed.