Caught a customer using a wet sponge on fresh sealer, saved my whole afternoon in Boise

I had a guy yesterday who watched me lay down sealer for about 20 minutes, then grabs a damp rag and starts dabbing at a spot that looked cloudy. He said it was a water stain from the day before. I stopped him real quick, told him that sealer is still curing and any moisture now messes with adhesion. He felt bad, but it got me thinking about how many people think they're helping when they're just guessing. Has anyone else had a customer almost ruin a finish right in front of them, and what did you say to make them back off?

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1 Comment

rileyellis16d ago

Did you hit it with a heat gun after to even out the cure? Sometimes a tiny bit of indirect heat helps that cloudy spot dry faster without screwing up the bond. I usually tell people the sealer needs 48 hours before it even thinks about touching water, and I've started putting up little signs that say "wet paint" but for sealer. It beats having to strip and redo a whole section because someone thought they were doing you a favor.