It will be just fine. Waiting 8 hours and sand between is recommended, but in the long run, you are getting the same effect.

It just means, that you didn't really get a three coat film build, so expect the finish to underperform. The finish was too soft and the film got buffed away in order to knock down the grain. Did they buff the floors to smooth out the raised grain?

Hrm. That’s disconcerting. I’m not sure whether they buffed - the floor feels relatively smooth but still has some texture. Not sure what that implies. Not really able to find out too much more as our contractor has not been very clear or communicative on anything, to be honest. I assume underperforming would imply the potential for staining, scratching, etc?

The finish won't last as long as it should , 15 years wear through. If, it has texture, the finish is not smooth enough. The rough spots will have premature wear. Post close up photos.

Thanks for the advice, G&S. Really appreciate it. I'm attaching a photo (ignore the crappy baseboards) - not super close but it's all I have right now as there's cardboard down as they finish things up (we did force them to allow a full 5 days for curing without anything on top though). If we still have 15 years then I feel okay about that. What worries me more is whether or not it will stain easily, etc. Just don't want to go through that whole process of refinishing if a drop of oil seeps right through...

Thanks again for all your advice!

Sorry for all the posts. Can never seem to figure out how to properly post photos here

Take a photo close up at an angle floor height.

Natural Polyurethane Finish · More Info

The 3 coats in 1 day is not "Loba" protocol. What is going to happen is this: it will take another 10 days for this to cure.

That means you need another 10 days on top of your 10 days. Yep. It is going to take 20 days to fully cure. So keep everyone off of the floor AND GET RID of the cardboard. It is possible the cardboard will 'embed' itself into the soft surface. And you should HEAR the swearing that goes on should that happen!

Little hard to get a good photo right now, but hoping this is helpful? Fingers crossed it doesn’t look like all is lost, lol.

I can see the indentations the protective board has made. And I can see it is dusty. These are two things you don't want to see. Sigh. This is PRECISELY why you do not let this happen. Three coats in one day is AGAINST MANUFACTURER PROTOCOL. Protective covering over an uncured floor is another 'no-no'.

I'm sorry but you are going to stop ALL work on your home. You will have to stop ANYONE from walking in the door. You are going to sit down with the contractor who ALLOWED this to happen. And you are going to discuss the 'what if' problems.

What if this doesn't settle down?

What if I'm left with a floor that must be refinished because of the cardboard impressions?

What if you can't 'buff this out' because the Loba AT (Advanced Technology) is a SUPER TOUGH finish with ceramic nano beads embedded into the finish?

What happens when you REQUIRE another company to fix this GC's issues?

Who is going to pay for the GC's misapplication of the product?

Dig out your contract and look at it. If your contractor did not read the information and does not communicate well in English (you mention Spanish...I'm assuming you went so far as to ascertain the GC's ability to read?) you could be in for more issues.

Get them out of there and stop the work. Do not let them back in there until you are happy the 20 days have passed.

And then ask: Why were the floors done BEFORE the rest of the space was finished? Floors are normally done last.

White dots are your texture issue, raised grains that did not get buffed out. It is impossible to give the floor a good final buff if, the finish is not completely dry, top to bottom. One or all of the following will happen:

1. Remove too much finish, thinning the film build.
2. Buffing swirls, finish is too soft, deep buffing scratches are created and shows through final coat.
3. Insufficient buffing, buffing a soft finish, creates the finish to ball up into little tiny pellets under the abrasive. The abrasive does not have full contact with the buffing surface. Raised grains are not removed.

Thanks so much for the help/advice everyone. I will update you on what happens when we complete everything. Wish me luck!

Hey mat08686 what happened in the end...were your floors ok?

In light of this thread, am I reading the tech spec right/ wrong - it says "earliest possible re-coating after 4-6 hours" and also "intermediate sanding not required if recoating within 24hrs"? Or has the product / guidance changed? There appear to be two methods detailed in the Loba instructions: one with and one without intermediate sanding. Advice on the implications appreciated - wondering if impact goes to colour, gloss level, smoothness, durability, all / one / none of these?

Also any tips on best machine type / grit level (in UK) for the intermediate sanding. Been reading that too fine and second coat won't adhere as well and may affect durability whereas too coarse and may not be as smooth a finish! Many thanks in advance for all comments.

4-6 hours drytime under perfect drying conditions, only. No in-between sanding needed, if, you do not care about smoothness. 220 grit is best for in-between coat, sanding with a 175 rpm buffer. You can use 180 if, the floor is super rough, do so with caution. You can sand through the finish with 180.