Quick Answer

Scratches after polishing almost always come from skipped grits, contaminated pads, excessive pressure, or pads that have worn past their useful life. The fix is to re-cut the floor from one or two grits back and re-polish cleanly, vacuuming between every step.

Key Features to Check

• Skipped grits: jumping from 200 to 800 leaves 200-grit scratches that show up as the gloss develops.
• Contamination: a pad that picked up grit or dust scratches the floor as it spins.
• Pressure: too much down-force digs diamond points into the surface instead of refining it.
• Worn pads: a pad worn unevenly can leave a single deep scratch line or swirl.

How to Diagnose the Cause

Pattern	Cause	Fix
Deep straight lines	Contaminated pad or debris	Clean pad, vacuum floor
Uniform scratch marks	Skipped grit	Step back one or two grits
Swirls / arcs	Too much pressure	Lighten down-force
Single recurring line	Worn or damaged pad	Replace pad

How to Fix Scratches

1. Vacuum the floor and check the pad face for embedded debris.
2. Step back to the grit that removes the visible scratches (usually one or two grits coarser).
3. Re-polish through the sequence, cleaning between each grit.
4. Keep the machine flat and let the machine weight do the work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can scratches be removed without re-polishing the whole floor?

A:You need to re-polish the affected area from the coarser grit; spot-polishing the final grit alone will not remove deeper scratches.

Q: How often should I clean my polishing pads?

A:Clean the pad face and vacuum the floor before every grit change — contamination is the number one cause of new scratches.

Q: Are wet pads less likely to scratch than dry pads?

A:Wet polishing keeps dust in suspension and runs cooler, which reduces scratch risk, but skipped grits still scratch wet or dry.

Conclusion

Most scratch problems are preventable: follow the grit order, keep pads clean, and control pressure. A reliable pad set like the 3'' Diamond Resin Floor Polishing Pads (JOY-RFP-05) or the 3'' 15mm Thickness Diamond Dry Polishing Pads (JOY-RFP-06) helps, but the discipline between grits matters more.