Re: P.S. Re: Desperate

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: : : : So, being cheap has really cost you how much? : : : : : : : : I say strip that crap off and use a product made for floors! : : : : Bona or Basic, are going to be your friend! : : : : They are formulated for use as floor finishes. : : : : That Ben Moore stuff isn't. : : : : Compatability of Minwax and Ben Moore? : : : : You may have a bigger mess to sand back off. : : : Uh, if you see my update above, I came to realize the problem wasn't the Ben Moore but rather that the guy (who was one of those types who'd die rather than admit ignorance) had poured the stuff directly into the tray without mixing it first. (See, he wanted to prove he was cool, and so he didn't deign to read the instructions). : : : That was the ***only*** move I hadn't anticipated. Everything else I did - the masking tape, preparing the floors for a mess, blocking rooms & under doors with plastic. See, I ***did*** realize who I was dealing with. : : : For example, he hadn't sanded thoroughly, and I proved it to him by brushing away some dirty spots with steel bristles. He had previously insisted that the dirt went too deep - yet I proved him wrong. Then in one fell swoop he poured the stuff into the tray & so I assumed (since he said he'd poly'd a friend's place) that maybe polyurethane is different than paint in that it doesn't need stirring. It's not like I didn't provide him with a stirrer. I did, but he didn't use it. It just happened so quickly, and I just wanted to escape the fumes. : : Minnie, : : I have been sanding and finishing floor for about 14 years. The oil based polys have had problems, and the real question is why. There are some formula changes that are being initiated by the EPA. This may be the problem. Ben Moore is not a poly that should be used on floors, Could that be the problem, probably not. The floor man did not stir the gloss, is that the problem, probably not. Most gloss finishes say to use it right from the can. Semis and satins should be stirred. The Ben Moore rep should not be blaming the floor man. Since Gloss is the thickest of all polys, it takes extremely long to dry in the wrong conditions. I have had problems in high humidity especially after a full day or two of rain. If humidity stays under 50% you will not have that problem. Often times the problems manifests as poly bbs that get pushed up from the cracks or side match of the boards. This will be more of a problem if you turn on a/c units and do not air or vent all the rooms of the house including the basement. Usually it will dry in two weeks or so and stay off until it dries. The flooring industry is calling it a phenomenum, and will not do anything for anybody. Work with your floor guy, buy him coffee and try to clean this problem up. Everyone else has tried to point the finger at his work, and I don't believe it is his fault. I have found it to happen in older homes that stay damp, so run a dehumidifier in the basement to dry it ant run fans, and keep a/c off, and vent through windows. Good luck : : Paul : Thanks so much Paul, I just now saw your response because I've been so busy & therefore haven't got online much. : What the heck, I finally had a pro come to the house to re-sand for $250. So the total cost for me was $450 plus the excrutiating aggravation, tension, etc. And I'm still going to be doing the poly myself. : The pro told me that it definitely had required stirring & the guy didn't know what he was doing. The only fault with Ben Moore is that they didn't include a warning label on top stating "Must be stirred thoroughly with paint stirrer or it won't dry". The first guy was not a pro, rather someone who worked for the company which rents sanders. He was subsequently fired since his attendance at work was unstable. In the same vein, he'd told me he'd come to re-sand, and said he'd phone me to say what time he was coming this week, but he never did phone. And he was constantly unreachable. So I gave up & hired the pro. : P.S. I know what you mean about stirring, since my sister had polyurethaned a number of times, and said she had never used a paint stirrer. I did ask if they were oil based, but she didn't remember. She said she had used various brands including Red Devil. But maybe their instructions were different than Ben Moore's. It definitely did say on the back of the Ben Moore can to stir thoroughly. As I said, I don't fault their instructions, but rather that they didn't include a warning label on top.

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