Solid hardwood · Finish peeling
Why is the finish peeling off my hardwood floor?
Peeling finish is almost always an adhesion failure between coats or between the finish and the wood. Typical causes are contamination from cleaners or polishes, poor abrasion between coats, or incompatible products.
Also searched as: "polyurethane flaking off", "wood floor finish coming off in sheets", "finish lifting after refinishing"
What usually causes it
- Polish, wax or cleaner residue on the surface
- No abrasion between coats
- Mixing incompatible finish systems
What you can check yourself
- List the cleaning products used on the floor
- Note when the floor was last refinished
What an independent inspection checks
- Adhesion and coating observations
- Cleaning and maintenance history
- Finish manufacturer instructions
Who is responsible?
Depends on whether the cause is the finish product, how it was applied, or maintenance products used afterward.
Get your hardwood floor inspected
Tell us what you're seeing and we'll explain the next step. We cover every county in Southern California and only inspect. We don't sell or install flooring.