I just refinished my red oak hard wood floors and noticed a couple
problem areas that look like smears. I am not sure if they are smears
caused by dragging my knees as I was wiping out the stain or if they
were caused by the edge sander.

How can I fix this? There are currently 2 coats of stain and I think
some of the marks were present prior to the second coat.

Can I lightly sand to remove the marks? Do I have to go to bare wood?
If so, will the border of the stain match when I try and re-stain the
problemed spot?

Any advice would be appreciated!!!

"Dave" wrote in message
oups.com...
I just refinished my red oak hard wood floors and noticed a couple
problem areas that look like smears. I am not sure if they are smears
caused by dragging my knees as I was wiping out the stain or if they
were caused by the edge sander.


If it was a sanding problem, you should also be able to feel it by running
your hand over it. Rougher wood with standing fibers should appear darker
and burnished wood (from oversanding with clogged paper) might go lighter
depending on the wood.

Are the smears lighter or darker than the surrounding wood? Unremoved
finish will definately spoil a stain job.


How can I fix this? There are currently 2 coats of stain and I think
some of the marks were present prior to the second coat.

Stain does not form coats, it just sinks in deeper and more densely each
time you apply it. This means whatever was first is still on the top.

Can I lightly sand to remove the marks? Do I have to go to bare wood?
If so, will the border of the stain match when I try and re-stain the
problemed spot?


If it is a sanding mark this would make sense. if the smear is darker,
sanding might be all you need to do. If it is lighter, try diluting the
stain and work up to the tone you want.

Try wiping the area with denatured alcohol in case the smear was a
contaminant. This may also remove some excess if it is not too dry yet.

Start small and work your way up cautiously or you will be sanding a large
area again and virtually starting over.

Consider where it is. Will it be covered by furnature or a rug? If so you
may want to accept some imperfection.

I will experiment with a location under my cabinets before moving to
the spot in the middle of the kitchen.

I like the idea of trying to dilute it with denatured alcohol. One
thing I am still not clear on is whether or not I need to sand to bare
wood if it was a sanding mistake.

Thanks for the advice!

"Dave" wrote in message
oups.com...
I will experiment with a location under my cabinets before moving to
the spot in the middle of the kitchen.

I like the idea of trying to dilute it with denatured alcohol. One
thing I am still not clear on is whether or not I need to sand to bare
wood if it was a sanding mistake.

Thanks for the advice!


I think you only need to sand to match the surface and or to make the area
lighter than the surrounding so you can add stain. The wood should already
be bare, it is impregnated with stain not coated with it. If you sand
enough to remove all the stain, you will leave a deep spot.

Dave wrote:

I will experiment with a location under my cabinets before moving to
the spot in the middle of the kitchen.

I like the idea of trying to dilute it with denatured alcohol. One
thing I am still not clear on is whether or not I need to sand to bare
wood if it was a sanding mistake.

Thanks for the advice!

Hard to tell from here ) Not seeing what you describe, I would be
inclined to take a rag with fresh stain, not very saturated, and scrub
the area in question. It might be sufficient, if the spot is just
uneven stain, to dissolve it enough to blend with surrounding area.

Sanding would be the last thing I would want to attempt, unless light
sanding the entire floor and applying another coat of stain. Eek!

Probably just a difference in the texture due to sanding. Try a little hand
sanding with very fine (220 grit or finer) paper, not much. Or just buff
with a clean dry cloth. It may need more time to dry.

As long as there is a good color match, it may disappear when you put the
polyurethane on top.


"Dave" wrote in message
oups.com...
The marks where sand marks. They were caused by the edger using 100
grit paper

I was able to sand them out with a little 4"x4" orbital sander and a
sanding block. I lightly sanded until most or all of the swirl marks
were gone or blended in. I then restained the areas that I sanded
going past the work area a few inches.

Now the repair areas are noticable. They look pretty good but they are
duller looking than the surrounding area. Does anyone have any ideas
on what caused this or how to fix it?

Dave,

It is most likely a smear from your sweat. Here is how it works. You are
sanding away and working hard and building up a sweat. If that sweat touches
that floor, the moisture will swell the wood fibers or as we say in wood
working, "raising the grain". The wood in that area is now a little bit
rougher. When you stain it will take the stain differently than the wood
around it.

I had a new construction house sanded one day and stained the next day. The
floor finisher did not secure the house at the end of the day. After the
stain dried, we noticed barefoot prints on the floor. Someone had looked at
our house that evening and to be nice removed their shoes so as not get the
nice clean floor dirty. So they walked on in their sweaty feet. They had to
re-sand.

Also Had another house where we were having some floors finished on a
different house. Mid summer in South Carolina. The AC was not working yet
and the guy had to sand that floor twice. The second time he made the
builder get the AC on because he had drips and smudges all over.

My suggestions a

1 Leave it and plan to put a chair there.....;-(
2 Re-sand the whole floor......;-(
3 Attempt to use alcohol or paint thinner or acetone and restain, It will
probably not match but you may get luck.....;-(
4 Attempt to lightly sand the area and restain, It will probably not match
but you may get luck.......;-(

I vote for 3 then 4. If they fail of make a mess then resand ...;-(

John

"Dave" wrote in message
oups.com...
I just refinished my red oak hard wood floors and noticed a couple
problem areas that look like smears. I am not sure if they are smears
caused by dragging my knees as I was wiping out the stain or if they
were caused by the edge sander.

How can I fix this? There are currently 2 coats of stain and I think
some of the marks were present prior to the second coat.

Can I lightly sand to remove the marks? Do I have to go to bare wood?
If so, will the border of the stain match when I try and re-stain the
problemed spot?

Any advice would be appreciated!!!