Hi,

I'm finishing Brazilian Cherry treads and a landing with Fabulon Super gloss. I applied about 6 coats with careful sanding in between to eliminate pores and achieve a mirror finish. However, I can never eliminate dust nibs and they are very noticeable with the dark wood and gloss finish. The room that the work is being done in is not completed so it is a dusty room in general and is impossible to clean thoroughly at this point.

Here are the steps I have taken. These help but I'm wondering if it's even possible to reduce the dust nibs to a few per tread. Now I'm getting a dust nib every few square inches. I even tried Japan drier but it did not seem to help and I think it dulled the gloss.

1. I do vacuuming of the area the day before and close all windows, doors, tape around the exterior door jamb to let dust settle.
2. I cover the floor around the treads with plastic (I have to walk on the floor to do the tread ends).
3. In the morning before starting application of the finish I tack off all treads (I can feel the dust that has settled on treads).
4. After applying finish I exit the room/house as quickly as possible.

I had one pro tell me to apply one last coat after the room is completed. Completed means all trim re-installed, HW floors finished and final painting done. I suppose at this point the room should be squeaky clean but I always thought it was more important to let the dust settle for 8 hours or so and not stir it up reasoning that there will always be dust present. I also wonder how much dust/lint is coming off my clothes.

Thanks for any tips.

Strip down to a pair of silk boxers before entering the work area, lol.
Seriously though these particles you are seeing are indeed very small, but magnified by the finish when mixed in. They are created much like an oyster creates a pearl.
IF you get the current coat of finish perfectly smooth, and use a fresh can of finish for the top coat, any new "pearls" created will wear off with time.
A five year old finish is much smoother than a recently applied finish, and this is due mostly through the microscopic abrasion being done by cleaning processes and simply walking on the floor, or in this case your new treads.

you can also rub out the nibs with newspaper print balled up (it won't break the seal). Been doing it for years with wood finish on trim.

Thanks guys,

You can only see the nibs in direct reflected light which is rare but I will give them a rub.

Also wanted to ask about runner rugs on stairs -

We don't wear shoes indoors and treads are not slippery with bare feet but with socks it can be like a ice rink.
As far as methods of attaching a runner rug I have seen the brass bars but I think that's a little upscale for us.

I'm guessing that the rugs can be attached to the risers (paint grade in my case) with screws and decorative washers?

Two screws near the bottom of the riser and 2 near the top?

Thanks

It's funny crapet is one thing DIY'ers can't do very well and especially on stairs is runners. You better hire a pro. And someone that good with woven runners cus tufted won't last for crap on stairs.

You get two more guesses!



1000 upholstery staples , even with stair rods.