Q: My wife and I just bought an apartment in March. The poly on the wood floor is bubbling, peeling and flaking off. The builder says he’ll only pay for screening and 2 coats of poly which is $200.But the flooring guy says it needs sanding, sealing and 3 coats of poly which costs $749. How can I tell what I need?
Thanks for your help!
-John
A: When a finish is flaking off, it means somewhere in the application process an issue occurred. Usually this means the finish dried too quickly or that the chemicals in the finish did not set properly, although there is a myriad of other reasons that can cause this issue.
The screen process will buff the top layer of finish (rough it up/scuff it lightly) in order to apply a new layer of finish. If your having flaking issues, screening the floor will not resolve this. Your floor will need to be sanded down to remove all of the finish, then sealed and refinished. Normally 3 coats is a safe bet when doing a fresh finish, which is a good suggestion from the flooring guy you spoke to.
