Poly Beads and Rough Grain Are Problems With Hard Wood Floors but Royal Wood Floors Provides The Causes and Cures




What are Poly Beads?

poly-beads-hard-wood-floor-problemThese are beads of finish that form along the edges of the flooring pieces. They can be soft and sticky when first formed, but will become quite hard if left undisturbed. Generally, the cause of poly beads is that they are associated with oil-based polyurethane finish, particularly higher solids/viscosity products, with slow drying conditions and excessive amount of sealer and/or finish that seeps into small gaps between boards. When the product dries/skins over, the solvent may be trapped in the still-wet finish between the boards and tries to evaporate, forming beads on the surface where the wet finish oozes out.

The cure is to check with the finish manufacturer for their recommendation. Time will allow the floor to expand and contract, eventually allowing all of the un-dried finish to surface. When soft, the beads can smear leaving an unsightly appearance. When the beads are soft, consult with the manufacturer on how to properly remove them. For hardened beads, the solution is to gently remove them with a sharp edged tool.
This could be a scraper, plastic putty knife or even the edge of an old credit card can work, and if necessary abrade/screen and then re-coat the floor. Do not attempt to abrade/screen the hardened beads as they may easily cause circular scratches within the finish.

Roughness or Grain Raise

grain-raise-roughness-hard-wood-floorsThis is where the surface of the floor is rough to the touch. The cause can be because of inadequate sanding, including skipping to many grits. This can also be caused by contamination of the finish itself during drying time. Not allowing a sufficient dry time for waterborne sealers to flatten, moisture that causes the grain of the floor to rise, not using enough finish coats on the floor, not abrading well enough between coats or even insufficient cleaning between coats can all cause the grain to be rough or raised.

The cure for this is when a roughness problem is evident, abrade/screening and re-coating may fix the problem. However, re-sanding may be necessary in the end.



Schedule a Free Estimate HERE

