Hello all

2 weeks ago I had 1500 square feet of clear Hickory installed in my home by a ighly recommended firm.

After staining one coat of water basedclear coat was applied and then the floor was buffed. The next day 2 coats of clear was applied with plenty of time between coats to dry.

I now have thousands of what looks like small bubbles(around 1/8" in diamter or less) everywhere and most are along the grain lines. I watched the contractor check the moisture content which was 6% or less etc I was there watching at all times. Most of the bubbles are almost impossible to feel.

The clear coat was applied with a roller. We have some stairs that the same wood was installed and the only difference in the process was they aplied the clear coat with a pad/squeege comb and no bubbles appeared. I've checked elsewhere on the net to see how others have applied the clear coat and I've seen lots of rollers being used.

The contractor has no idea what has caused the problem and is ready to sand and remove the probolem at no charge but I need to know what the cause is before it happens again.....

Help!!!

Ron

it was the roller...most likely..not a grat application for waterbase..I know Bona makes one especially for their finish Naturale.

do they look more like pin holes that follow the wide open grain in plain sawn boards? If so it probally just needs one more coat to fill in the open grain. sometimes three coats of waterborne on coarse open grained woods like hickory isnt enough to get the look you after.

Hello James and Kevin

Thanks for your posts.

No pin holes and the roller was the Bona unit for water based clear coat.

I just got off the telephone with the contractor and he just admitted he did not allow the stain to dry sufficiently before the clear coat was applied causing the problem and
he's ready to start all over. I understand the need to apply water to open the grain of the Hickory so it will properly take the stain and the water/stain combo was not dry...

Now that the house is all back together and this pops up I'm afraid the lady of the house is going to come unglued. But after 50 years of wedded bliss she'll calm down......

I won't say anything until after the holidays are over.

Thanks again for your posts

Ron

I realize you have your answer already but whenever using waterbased anything over a oil based stain or sealer, always leave 24 hours (at least) for your stain or sealer to dry. All those bubbles are solvent gasses trying to get away from the floor and up through the water based finish

As for rollers, Bona Traffic and Basic Coating's Street Shoe can be rolled with excellent results. You can use the Bona roller or a quality 1/4" nap roller like a Purdy White Dove. I've done many thousands of feet with rollers. But some finishes I definitely would not roll.

Thank you for your advice. I'll be sure the installers wait 36 hours to be sure the stain is totally dry.

Again thanks

Ron

Would need a picture... if its everywhere then yah most likey the applicator. I had a very bizarre case of something like this happen once on a white oak floor. it would bubble only on the seams after 2nd and third coat... Can't remember if they had radiant heat but that was the only thing i could think of. Heat was boiling it out of the seams or something.. they buffed right out but like i said it was a bizarre case