Tiny bumps in polyurethane top coat

[Alien8]

So after putting down a third coat of polyurethane on my floor I noticed thousands of tiny bumps in the surface. The coats went down nice and smooth and flat and really nice gloss. But I was unhappy about all the tiny lumps. I also noticed a big shoe print at the front door in the coat. I must have stepped in the wet finish and not rolled it out well enough. I had enough product to do a fourth coat so I screened back again and laid a forth coat on.

Now the forth coat has these lumps as well but much more and much worse. They are not fisheyes. They look like little hard bits of urethane on the surface. I vacuumed really well and then went over with a antistatic dry mop then a tack cloth before coating. The coat once again came up really flat and super glossy but the thousands of tiny lumps make it look really average.

What to do from here? Cut back again and lay a fifth coat? or can I cut the nibs back with red pads and polish the floor.
Can someone give me an insight to what might be happening with the poly?
Cheers.

[Alien8]

Pics of the forth coat. 9056790568

[Dusty]

It's nothing too sinister, just dust particles that have settled into it. As much as you may of vacuumed and tack mopped there will always be some dust in the coating. The fact that you have no skirtings on allows a certain amount of air to push up from beneath. Plus, some of it may be from the new roller as you're applying the finish.

You can keep trying to get that perfect finish, but you will reach a point of no return and it will start to look ridiculous and the boards will take on a quilting affect, whereas the coating will appear thicker in the middle of board and taper out towards the sides (much like a quilt)

Buffing it with a maroon pad will just see it needing another coat. So scrap that plan.

[sundancewfs]

Dust nibs..... high gloss is pain...

[TimDavis]

Dusty and Sundancewfs are right, it's just dust and a high gloss finish highlights it. Because you did the job yourself understandably you are hoping for a perfect finish, unfortunately it doesn't exist. You can't expect an automotive or even a furniture grade finish on a floor. The very best of jobs I've done have still had some level of dust imperfection in them. It's in the air, it comes off your clothes, it comes off the roller, it's sitting on the walls and ceiling, I reckon half the time its already in the product, it's nearly driven me nuts in the past. Put the furniture back, drop a rug or two, give it a bit of wear and tear, people will walk in and say WOW!!! Forget about it and admire your good work. Its looks pretty darn good to me.
The gloss level wears down a bit over time and so do the nibs, and so will your concern. Congratulations.

[Levey]

Totally agree with all of the above replies.
Maybe consider a semi-gloss finish, even if you get a perfect finish (not going to happen) gloss will show up every scratch, hair, speck of dust and drive you nuts.

[Dusty]

Is this the sort of look you were hoping for?

It's near on impossible.

[Alien8]

I would absolutely love a finish like that Dusty,thats one beautiful floor. but alas my skills are not quite there. I can live with the thousands of tiny bumps but I will still be wondering if only I did this or could of tried that to achieve a better result. I come from a fibreglass laminating background where a polished finish with heaps of tiny pimples is just not acceptable. I guess I will just have to move on. Thanks all.

[Alien8]

9058090581
Dusty and Sundancewfs are right, it's just dust and a high gloss finish highlights it. Because you did the job yourself understandably you are hoping for a perfect finish, unfortunately it doesn't exist. You can't expect an automotive or even a furniture grade finish on a floor. The very best of jobs I've done have still had some level of dust imperfection in them. It's in the air, it comes off your clothes, it comes off the roller, it's sitting on the walls and ceiling, I reckon half the time its already in the product, it's nearly driven me nuts in the past. Put the furniture back, drop a rug or two, give it a bit of wear and tear, people will walk in and say WOW!!! Forget about it and admire your good work. Its looks pretty darn good to me.
The gloss level wears down a bit over time and so do the nibs, and so will your concern. Congratulations.


Thanks Tim, Its comforting to know that even the pro guys go nuts over this stuff. Your completly right. In a few months this will be all a distant memory and I will be posting about some other imperfection in paint or concrete or somthig stupid like that.:U

[Dusty]

The second picture of yours (above) shows a very good looking finish. I take me hat off to you - good job.

[namtrak]

..........I take me hat off to you - good job.


+1

[Larry McCully]

Is this the sort of look you were hoping for?

It's near on impossible.
Who's gloss is that Dusty ?

[Dusty]

Hey, Larry.

I'm thinking you mean the brand name? Yes? If so that particular floor was coated with Wattyl 7008

And these three pics here are from a stain job I did last week and have been finished with Polycure Satin, which is obviously wet in the pictures.

[Larry McCully]

Brillant gloss level. I forgot all about 7008. Its a killer, but its a good product.
Hey, Larry.

I'm thinking you mean the brand name? Yes? If so that particular floor was coated with Wattyl 7008

And these three pics here are from a stain job I did last week and have been finished with Polycure Satin, which is obviously wet in the pictures.

[Bloss]

:wts: you've done a great job - and those dust 'highs' will wear down and become less noticeable too as you walk and clean and use the floor. I love high gloss on good timber and have it all through my place - two rooms came up perfectly the rest had some dust bumps, but I'm the only one who ever noticed and my 'floory'. I've note tried to DIY sand and finish a floor for >35years as I know the value of practice - same goes for plastering, bricking, tiling and concreting. An occasional small job, but that's it. Paying someone who does it for a living is one of those value versus cost decisions!

[borals]

I have satin floors and have the same things. I could tell it was dust but I too was curious as to weather or not this was normal. Good to know!:U