I'm hoping someone can provide some input to a potential problem. I finished staining my re-sanded red oak floor using Bona DriFast Natual. It looked great while it was wet but after dry it looked somewhat blotchy. If you line up the floor with light reflecting from a window you can see there are some areas that are dull and others that are shiny, almost like some areas soaked the stain in better (dull) and others did not (shiny). I'll be using Bona Traffic satin for the finish.

I may be wrong but it seems that the finish would determine the final degree of reflection and I'm hoping that after finishing, light will reflect consistently across the entire floor eliminating the variation in shininess (blotchiness).

Hope I described it adequately. I searched the forum but couldn't find any other posting that appeared similar. I appreciate feedback anyone might have.

Tom

When you refer to Bona Dri-fast, do you mean their wiping stain OR their poly sealer? In either case, you are probably OK. Both those products dry well. And Traffic can be applied directly over them. You may want to get a floor buffer ( slow speed, 175 rpm ) and buff the floors with 3M's "in between coats" maroon pads. This will dull the floor somewhat, smooth it and prep it for the first coat of Traffic. Don't worry if the floor's reflection is even right now. They rarely are after just staining. One potential problem you MAY have is that you did not wipe off the excess stain either well enough or at all. If you did not wipe off the stain ( natural ) at all, then buff the floor very well, re-stain and make sure to wipe off the excess before the stain dries.

Thanks for the response.

It's Bona DriFast Stain Oil-Modified Quick Dry Stain and not the poly sealer. I did not wipe of the stain after applying so it sounds like that’s my problem. To add to it I put a second coat on before I read your post to see if it would improve. It does look a lot more uniform but most of the floor is now shiny. Do you think I still need to re-buff and should I then use the same 3M maroon pads and slow buffer you recommended?

I need to ask the question; what will happen if I do not buff and re-stain but apply the finish as-is? Reason is that I have two rooms. In the first I installed all new wood. The second room is an existing kitchen floor that I sanded down completely. The two rooms are connected by a doorway. It’s the existing kitchen floor that had the majority of the blotches. The new floor (dining room) is a combination of woods and stains. The center field is bloodwood and has a Bona sealer applied (no stain). There is a 1/2 inch border around the bloodwood that has a Minwax ebony stain applied. The remaining outer field is red oak with the Bona DriFastnatural stain applied.

Here's a photo of the new floor so you can see what I'm referring to.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Nicholas.Ch ... 4897870866

It’ll take a whole lot of work to get the new floor back to where it’s at if I buff it. What problems will I encounter if I finish as-is with what's ending up to be a floor with stain that's thicker than usual, especially on the new floor that was not wiped but doesn't have much blotching?

Thanks again

There is the possibility that the finish may not adhere well. Nearly all floor stains are wiping stains. And that means one has to remove the excess stain on the surface before it dries. You've used it like it was a floor surface finish, instead of a penetrating stain. To be on the safe side, I would lightly abrade that floor with the 3 M pads I mentioned earlier. You will need to vacuum and tack prior to applying the Traffic finish. If you do not buff it to dull the finish and proceed without doing anything, the Traffic finish MAY adhere or it may not. It a crap shoot anytime one does not follow the directions on the labels.