Hi,

I had the hardwood floor finished though only two water based topcoat was applied. They will return to address issues if any, buff, and apply final coat after kitchen renovation is done - new patch had to be done due to island moving to a different location. They put down cardboard-like on the floor throughout to protect the wood few days later after second topcoat was applied.

There were several issues during the refinish process and recently found new issue with the floor.

- Contract called for three commercial grade water-based topcoats (in other words, two component finish). Crew tried to get by with 1 component finish and of course I opened the package and looked at the container and checked google. I stopped them before they begin to staining the floor. The guy said that third coat would be two component finish and that is something they do all the time and I pointed out why would they state otherwise in the contract. They got two component finish two days later.

- Contract called for wood wise (believe it is powder based / wood patch?) for "handful larger gaps in the floor". There were a few spots with nearly 1/4" gap. Crew did not do that instead standard trowel was applied throughout. I spoke with the guy who wrote the contract that they failed to follow through and he said trowel filler is just as good and if I wanted they could look for larger gaps and remove filler and apply wood wise. I am very skeptical about this one since stain and two topcoats have been applied.

- More recently, I discovered one spot where the grain appeared to have raised (on a strip of hardwood). I was furious with the guy and showed him he said it's normal due to water-based finish and he say they see it all the time and it is easy to fix. He said it is called "shake". I suspect inadequate sanding. I do not know if there are other areas with this issue due to cardboard covering throughout.

I told him that I was going to consult other hardwood floor pros for their thoughts specifically the last 2 issues. I told him that I have big issue with someone who writes the contract and we agreed to the terms however they deviate from it. Should I be paying the full amount? I do not think so.

Appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

Ethan

There is not anything special about the woodwise filler. A quarter inch wide gap filled with filler can be OK if it is done in steps with each layer hardening before the next is applied. If there is any movement of the wood, the filler may crack and separate.
Shakes should not be present in a finished floor. They are potential splinters that could be caught with stocking feet. Small shakes can sometimes be filled/glued back together with epoxy or super glue. before the final coat of finish.
Water-based finish usually has a seal coat that is a one component sealer before the top coats are applied. If the floor is stained with an oil stain, this will seal the floor so the sealer is not needed. The two component finish costs more and wears better, but will look like the one component finish when it is dry. Once the finish has worn some and the one component finish is exposed, wear and chemical resistance will be compromised.

They only did trowel filler throughout the floor once and did not pay any attention to handful larger gaps (in other words did not do layers).

I agree shakes should not exist and the contractor said it is normal and they occur when water-based topcoat (two component) is applied. My thought is that they did not sand it well at least in that particular area. The contractor say he will just have crew sand it then stain to match and finally apply water based topcoats. I don't think stain is oil based.

Your thought on the contractor's comment about looking for those handful larger gaps and remove filler; and put powder based filler when the floor is already done (two topcoats applied at this point and third will be done after kitchen renovation is complete).

The shake board may need to be replaced, if it could splinter and be dangerous. Catching with stocking feet is the problem.
Removing wood patch to put another patch in its place is not productive. Another layer may be necessary to make the floor flat, but it needs to be the correct color.

The Flat-grain board or shake board is common with water-based finish. If it is small enough, it can be repaired at the final coat. If it is large or has a large void underneath, it needs to be replaced. That can be determined by tapping with your fingernail and listening for the hollow sound. Flat-grain boards have nothing to do with sanding. It is a product of the mill and the tree. Otherwords naturally occurring.

Deviating from the contract is not good. Especially without being upfront about any changes. My recommendation is, reading the finish container and make sure the finish is being applied to the manufacturer's recommendation.

As far as filler, what matters is, that it is filled. With 1/4" gaps, the filler is only temporary anyways. The tongue is 3/16" long. With a 1/4" gap, their will be movement because it is not tongue and groove.

Do you owe the contractor all of their money? Well... the job is not complete. When it is, make that determination off of the final product. Let them do their job, stay out of the way, and see what the final product looks like. Maybe your expectations are off? If you have an older floor, do not expect perfection.

Wood wise and such products are For small Gaps and small holes. For larger gaps we use 3m all Purpose epoxy w/hardener and tint it appropriately with the right color oxide coloring . Some times the color of filler will not match well to the rest of the floor and when that is the case we use alcohol markers to blend the color as oilbase poly will not bleed the alcohol markers. After buffing smooth prior to applying final coat is when we break out the alcohol markers. Stain pens will just bleed away when coating w/ oil. One of the many many tricks we have learned over a decade. Large voids need epoxy imho.

Www.perrellirefinishing.com