Craters / Fish Eyes (Hardwood Finish)

Floor Detective® Claims and Conditions Guide

Summary

Craters, commonly referred to as fish eyes, are localized depressions that develop within a wet or semi-fluid hardwood finish during application and curing. The condition occurs when the coating pulls away from isolated areas instead of flowing and leveling uniformly across the surface. Craters commonly appear as circular or bowl-shaped depressions and may or may not contain visible particulate at the center. Surface contamination, finish incompatibility, environmental conditions, or localized wetting disruption may interfere with normal finish flow behavior during application. The condition reflects finish-film interaction and coating behavior rather than structural failure of the wood flooring itself. Visibility may vary depending on sheen level, lighting angle, film thickness, and overall distribution. Proper classification requires distinguishing craters from bubbles, crawling, embedded debris, or other finish-surface irregularities. See also Crawling Hardwood Finish, Bubbles in Finish Hardwood, and Hardwood Floor Problems for broader context.

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