I orignally-and mistakenly- posted this on a different forum. So here goes-

Last week I had newly installed, 3/4" plank (3 1/4" boards) maple floors site finished, the final major project in a large scale remodel. The subcontractor used DuraSeal oil based poly, no separate sealer and a gloss finish (which I preferred.) The problems are as follows: 1) in certain areas the finish is much glossier than in others; 2) there are raised bumps-some of which look to be pieces of the sand paper/screen from the sander; 3) obvious gaps between the ends of boards that are deep enough, even after 3 coats of finish, that my fingernail catches on them; 4) the floor is rippled-that is, when you run a dusting pad over it-or a vac-you can hear/feel the "bump, bump, bump"; and, 5) swirl marks near the edges around the rooms and the hallway.

My general contractor and the flooring subcontractor (who subbed out the install to one crew and the finish to another) are coming out on Monday to take a look. Am I being too picky? After spending $16 sq. ft, I'd like for floors to be as good as can be. FYI-the boards did acclimate for more than amonth prior to finishing and two weeks before install but...we had a bunch of rain during that time and it has been dry since. No moisture readings were ever done, they did not "tack" the floor after sanding and using the vac. and the finish guy told me I had to leave the HVAC ON while we were staying at the hotel so that the finish would dry more quickly. Could this be the cause of my problems? If so, what am I facing in terms of repair?

Thanks in advance for any advice/feedback.

Kimberly
Pleasanton, CA

It sounds like an on site evaluation is warranted. We can't say if you are being too picky because we can't see the floor. By your description, your concerns sound legitimate. Dura Seal poly is it's own sealer so a separate sealer is not required. And to your questions:
1) Gloss finish on maple flooring is difficult. Sounds like perhaps the finish was thicker is some areas than others. Or some areas were abraded more heavily than other areas. Hard to tell without looking at it.
2) Debri in the finish is always a problem. The gloss will cause it to show more and maple really shows it. Some debri ( a little ) is understandable and allowable. It's a matter of degree here.
3) Once again, it's a matter of degree. On light colored woods like maple, the smallest crack looks like the Grand Canyon. Flooring finish doesn't fill them up. That is the job of wood filler. They should be able to fill those cracks.
4) Rippled floors. Sounds odd. Could be chatter but without seeing it, hard to say.
5) Swirl in the wood and/or finish. Again, maple is the culprite. A difficult wood for some guys to sand if they are not accustomed to working with it. Again, it's a degree issue.

Tacking the floors before coating is a normal procedure used to reduce dust and debri in the finish. Vacuuming alone will not get it all; and neither will tacking but it's the best way to do it . In terms of repair, if needed, sounds as if a recoat may be all that is needed BUT you may need a complete resand If the sanding job is unacceptable. I hope you are able to get things resolved with all the parties involved. If you need an independant unbiased inspection, feel free to contact me. I have been a licensed flooring contractor in the SF Bay Area for 25 years specializing in wood flooring and I am a NWFA member. You can PM me or look up my info under the memberlist.