Hi I recently let a friend stain and poly my hardwood floors and when I came back the floors are all sticky. I'm not sure what I need todo he said he'd put on a 1 lair of stain and 2 layers of poly. I don't think he wiped the excess stain off I mean it looks good I just think that might be the problem and if that's the case there is two coats of poly on top of that. Can I add more poly to get rid of the stickiness I'm just hoping the answer isn't sand everything and start over

When was it complete?
what were the products?
Do you have AC?
is this the first floor over a basement or over concrete?


the recent rains and humidity have been difficult working climates for this BIz.

Hard to say if there is an issue without more details.

explain sticky? you mean tacky?..your shoes make noise when you waljk on them?

do you see a film like gaseous flat spots?

It was 1st layer of each yesterday and 1 layer of poly this morning. We had a bad storm that knocked the power out right after before he started but continued off of day light so no ac for 12 hours but has been on since 9 this morning. Also it's over a basement. I know he used minwax oil based stain and poly

And yes tacky like my shoes stick not necessarily my bare feet but the do a little and it stains a tiny bit not enough to track anywhere unless I'm on it for a long time

I think you answered your own question.

This sounds like it needs more drying time.

It's very possible that there wasn't enough drying time between the stain and 1st coat of poly. Generally, you need to wait at least 24 hrs before applying the poly with a stain. (Minwax takes longer to dry than duraseal). Sometimes, esp w/ a darker stain and when it's humid, you need to wait 36-48 hrs. Your friend may not have realized this. Then, at least 24 between coats of poly...but if it's humid, you may also need to skip a day. I know this week some of our jobs have been taking longer due to humidity. Your friend may not do this all the time, and may not know when the floors are ready.

I would wait at least another day or two before doing any other coat. If the stain didn't dry properly, it will take longer than usual to dry now that there is a coat of poly. Your friend should screen before the next coat WHEN it is ready.

Also, no one should be walking on the floor until at least 24 hrs AFTER the last coat...and socks only at that point - no shoes, no bare feet. In this case, I might wait 48 hrs after that last coat.

Debbie Gartner, aka The Flooring Girl
http://TheFlooringGirl.com
Westchester County, NY