Fixing Dull and Shiny Spots in Hardwood Floor Finish

Summary: Polyurethane that is incorrectly applied or thinned out, can leave hardwood floors with unsightly shiny and dull spots.

Dear Rob: I recently had my floors refinished and the poly came out very uneven. Some places it’s really shiny and others, its very dull. Any ideas on a quick fix to even it out? I have to move furniture into these rooms this weekend.

-Lacey G. from Merrimack, New Hampshire.

Dear Lacey: I assume that you have a polyurethane floor, so I will base my answer on that. The dull and shiny spots in your hardwood floor indicate that your installers did not apply the finish correctly.

Dull spots in polyurethane floors usually indicate that the finish was not applied carefully, the applicator had a dry spot on it, or the finish was thinned out with a solvent such as mineral spirits. The latter is a big mistake, but a common shortcut in the industry among people trying to save money on materials.

Shiny spots in polyurethane floors can be caused by the finish not flowing out properly and pooling in areas, or inconsistent screening between coats of finish.

There is no quick fix for this, what I recommend is that you have the refinishers come back and screen and coat the floor. A screen and coat is a procedure where the floor is lightly sanded (or screened) with a floor maintainer or buffer, instead of a floor sander. This light sanding evens out the finished, cleans away debris, and roughens the surface, so another coat of finish will be able to properly adhere to the existing finish.

There is no other way to even out the finish.

-Rob