Fix Swirl Marks In Finished Floor

Ro sanders leave swirl marks they are designed to do that.

Fix swirl marks in finished floor. Most people sand too fast. Sometimes they are only visible with intense light such as under can sometimes called high hat lights or in front of patio doors. Swirl marks on refinished hardwood floor. We went with a natural finish with semi gloss finish.

Perfectly finishing a hardwood floor without any swirl marks is a challenge. The dreaded swirl marks happen when we are buffing. 1 sweep or vacuum the floor to remove dirt and debris. Rubio monocoat recommends finishing the hardwood with 120 grit so that is what i did.

Unfortunately swirl marks tend not to show up until finish or stain is applied. After removing the swirl marks and imperfections sand the entire floor again with 60 80 grit followed by 80 100 120 grit. I have 3 4 red oak. The floors look great but i have one concern.

If the sanding or screening process is done improperly swirl marks will appear on the floor. That is they move the sander too fast back and forth over the board causing the swirls to stretch out and look. The key is to keep those swirls dense so that the eye can t perceive the individual marks. The important part is to never skip a grit or a section of the floor during finish sanding.

Sanding the floor to remove the surface layer is often enough to remove swirl marks and you can have that perfect finish you desire. One area in my floors when the sun hits this spot i can see swirl marks. They are scratches that appear in a circular pattern in the wood or finish.