Q: I just bought a house and I’m trying to get it move-in ready. The oak floors are currently stained with an oil based poly coating in a satin/semi gloss finish. I want to try and re-coat (buff the existing poly and apply new coat) in a matte finish for a more natural look. I’m looking for the right product and process to achieve the matte finish.
Satin, Semi-gloss or Gloss
Q&A On the difference between sheens and what to consider when choosing your finish.
Satin topcoat too dull looking
Q: I recently sanded the finish off of my hardwood floor (red oak). I did not take it down to the bare wood so the stain remained. I applied one coat of Masters Gloss Polyurethane. After 48 hours I sanded with 220 grit paper, cleaned it thoroughly and applied another coat of Masters Gloss Polyurethane. I waited 48 hours and sanded it with 320 grit paper, clean thoroughly and applied one coat of Masters Satan Polyurethane (well stirred). I loved the clean, clear look of the gloss but feel the satin is dull looking, almost fake.
Will my too shiny coat of polyurethane dull as it cures?
Q: Does poly finish become duller with time? My contractor did a patch in my oak floor and applied 3 coats of semi-gloss poly trying to match the old floor. The first two looked pretty good, but the 3rd (final) coat is really shiny. He claims that I just need to wait 30 days for it to fully cure and it will match. Does poly dull with time in this way?
Finish not shiny enough
Q: Just had my kitchen floors refinished to match the rest of the house. Three coats of a 50/50 mix of satin and semi oil base poly was used. It did not come out shiny enough. He then did a coat of straight semi. It was put directly on without any sanding. Still not shiny enough.
Wanting little to no shine
Q: I just had my red/white oak hardwood floors stained with 2 coats of ebony/dark walnut. They are a really nice, dark, rick color. My floor guy uses Masterline poly in a satin finish. I am wanting little to no shine. I cannot find much information on this product. Is this a good product to use on really dark floors? Will there be any shine to their satin?
Stairs don’t match newly installed hardwood floors in sheen
Q: We retained a flooring specialist to both refinish our circular stairs top and basement, and remove 2” old red oak floor throughout main floor and install 3 and 1/4 prefinished oak flooring, with a very flat satin finish. The stairs were carpeted so he installed oak treads and risers. We said from the beginning we wanted the floor and stairs to match.
The number of coats of finish does NOT determine how shiny or dull the next coat will be
Q: In August we had our floors completely sanded, stained (Jacobean) and finished with Fabulon super satin (2 coats). It is an open floor plan with the hardwood laid on a diagonal and we get a lot of light exposure coming into the house. When we returned to our home after the 2nd coat was dried we noticed some uneven areas.
Can I buff the floors with a 220 and apply a semigloss coat over the satin?
Q: I have 3 coats of satin water based poly, over 1 coat of stain, on red oak floors. The satin finish is too flat. Can I buff the floors with a 220 and apply a semigloss coat over the satin?
Changing sheen of prefinished floor
Q: We are installing Pre-Finished Engineered Timber floor (Spotted Gum) in matte finish. But I really like the gloss finish look. Is it possible to polish the pre-finished floor boards again to get the gloss finish after installation? Any issues with applying a gloss polish on top of the existing matte finish?
Will putting semi-gloss over the satin really match things up?
Q: I just installed Brazilian cherry floors, which were sealed with Duraseal semi-gloss ployurethane by the floor guy. The painter then sealed the Brazilian cherry handrails and stair treads with Magnalac satin lacquer. I wanted the stairs to match the floor in terms of sheen.