I just had a flooring company refinish my maple hardwood steps with stain, sealer, and several coats of poly. However, I've noticed that there are some brush strokes on the finish, and it seems like dust was sealed in too. I'm certain that these strokes aren't part of the wood grain and are caused by the poly. Is this a common issue, or should I be worried?
3 Answers
You should definitely raise this issue with your contractor. It's not typical for a professional finish to have brush strokes and dust trapped in it. They might offer to fix it if you bring it to their attention.
Sounds like you might have gone with a lower bid for the job. It's always good to remember that a cheap option can lead to less desirable results when it comes to refinishing. Maybe next time consider investing a bit more.
If you can, upload some pictures for better advice. My guess is that either: they didn’t apply enough poly and spread it too thin, or they over-brushed while it was still tacky, or used a low-quality brush or poly. All those factors could lead to those brush strokes you're seeing. Pros should definitely know better. It’s usually fixable, so don’t panic!