Uneven stain / excessive flaring when water popped

[pattib]

Hello,

We had Graf Brothers unfinished engineered oak installed and site finished. When our floor guy water popped a sample, he said it flared too much so that he wasn't going to water pop it. He said that he had never had a floor react that way, flaring so much. He has significant experience and a good reputation. He applied the stain and it was very light and uneven. I insisted that it be remedied and he then water popped the stained wood and applied another coat of stain with some ebony added to darken it. It is still very uneven. I emailed a photo to my kitchen contractor and he said it doesn't look right and to not let him apply the sealer until he can show me that he can even out the color. My question is, does anyone know why the wood would have flared excessively? Any recommendations how this can be rectified? If he sands it and starts over, I would think that it would again flare too much if water popped to get the stain to take evenly, so would sanding it even help? Thanks for your help.

 

[Nick]

Should have rolled on a clear coat of sealer first before sanding . It would have all been the same color . No Blotches.

 

[highup]

OK, I gotta ask..............what's a water pop?

 

[Nick]

Pulling a damp coat of water after the final sanding to open the grain and allow the stain to penetrate deeper into the wood .

I don't buy into it myself . Especially if you use tap water that might have to much Chlorine in it .

 

[Floorist]

Pulling a damp coat of water after the final sanding to open the grain and allow the stain to penetrate deeper into the wood .

I don't buy into it myself . Especially if you use tap water that might have to much Chlorine in it .

Never finished floors, but that would have messed up my handmade furniture.

 

[Nick]

It will mess up your floors to if you don't know what you are doing .

 

[pattib]

Should have rolled on a clear coat of sealer first before sanding . It would have all been the same color . No Blotches.

This is counter intuitive to me. Please elaborate. I would have thought that putting sealer on it would keep stain from pentrating. What don't I understand? Thanks.

 

[Nick]

Sand it first , brush in the clear sealer , apply the stain. It will penetrate, Pull a base coat, give a light screening , pull the next two coats .

 

[Jeff]

What do you mean by "flaring"? What brand of stain/color are you using?


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[pattib]

What do you mean by "flaring"? What brand of stain/color are you using?


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The grain raised too much when water popped. That's the word my floor guy used. Berger Seidle stain.

 

[Jeff]

I'm wondering why you had him water pop the floor? Normally I pop a floor to get a very dark color. It looks as though you have chosen a fairly light stain. Next question, how was stain applied?

As far as grain raise goes...you have oak flooring, water is gonna raise the grain. I use waterborne finishes, as a process I seal the floor ( without buffing ) and then put on 3 coats of finish (for popped floors). It's the only way to get the coats smooth.


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[highup]

I'm wondering why you had him water pop the floor? Normally I pop a floor to get a very dark color. It looks as though you have chosen a fairly light stain. Next question, how was stain applied?

As far as grain raise goes...you have oak flooring, water is gonna raise the grain. I use waterborne finishes, as a process I seal the floor ( without buffing ) and then put on 3 coats of finish (for popped floors). It's the only way to get the coats smooth.


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I hate to intrude, but what sealer do you use. Maybe this will educate the original poster also.

 

[Jeff]

I use Loba finishes. Loba EasyPrime.


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[pattib]

I'm wondering why you had him water pop the floor? Normally I pop a floor to get a very dark color. It looks as though you have chosen a fairly light stain. Next question, how was stain applied?

As far as grain raise goes...you have oak flooring, water is gonna raise the grain. I use waterborne finishes, as a process I seal the floor ( without buffing ) and then put on 3 coats of finish (for popped floors). It's the only way to get the coats smooth.


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He only water popped a sample. The floor he did not water pop due to the excessive flare on the sample. I did not instruct him to water pop it. I would have no idea of the need for such a thing. It's part of his normal procedure, I think because he sands to a finer, smoother finish than most, thus needing to open up the grain to allow stain in. I understand that water is going to raise the grain but per my floor guy it raised much more than usual, apparently because there is something unusual about this particular wood.

Stain was cut in with a paintbrush and wiped off around walls and applied with a pad on a buffer (guessing it's a buffer but am really not sure). Squirted on the floor, then spread with the buffer.

The LOBA Easy Prime - is that used in lieu of water for popping the grain or is that besides water popping?

I'm assuming you are speaking of 3 layers of poly finish. We are doing a penetrating oil finish so will not have poly to fill in.

Thanks for your input.

 

[Jeff]

Opps I thought you asked him to pop the floor. I've never used that type of stain before so I don't know why it turned out uneven. What finish are you going to use (brand). With penetrating oil finishes you can't use any sealing stains, sealers, pre stain sealer etc. I might let him put a coat on and see if it evens out.

 

[Jeff]

Also...was was his final sandpaper grit on his sander and buffer?

 

[pattib]

Also...was was his final sandpaper grit on his sander and buffer?

Not sure but I think 80

 

[Jeff]

What brand of finish?

 

[pattib]

Berger Seidle

 

[Jeff]

If the finish gets buffed on the unevenness may buff out with the first application. Your going to have a lot of grain raise when you finish with 80 grit also...buffing on the finish may also help with that. However I have never used that stain/finish system.


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