5 Simple Steps to Stain Your Hardwood Floors!

Hardwood floors typically last for the life of a home, but with wear and tear of everyday use, they will eventually need refinishing. Hardwood floor refinishing is a fairly simple do-it-yourself project. You may need to use some equipment for sanding the wood floors, applying stain and adding a protective wood finish to make your hardwood floors look shiny and new again.

A Stained Hardwood Floor

Sanding, staining and sealing a wood floor takes time and effort. It’s a demanding project, even for a veteran home handyman  or a "do-it-yourselfer." That said, you can save a considerable sum by doing it yourself, sometimes more than half of what it would cost to hire a pro. If you’re ready and willing to take on the task, keep reading for more tips on how to stain your own hardwood floors.

After you've sanding your floor, you might want to change the color of your wood. However, be careful before you start. If there is a lot of scratching from your floor due to the sanding, the scratches will look worse when you apply stain therefore make sure the floor is smooth by filling the scratches with a sealer.  

Here is what you should do to stain your floor:

1) Make sure that all of the excess sawdust is removed
 Thoroughly vacuum up the enormous quantity of sawdust created during the sanding stage of the project. Don’t use your regular household vacuum, though—it’s probably not up to the task. Opt instead for a heavy-duty shop vac fitted with a brush attachment and, ideally, a new filter. You won’t want sawdust mixed into your stain so be sure that there isn’t anything on the bare floor.

2) Ventilation
At last, you’re ready to stain—but not before ensuring proper ventilation (after all,

floor finishes can emit harmful vapors). If you didn’t want any ventilation while you were sanding because it would blow the sawdust around, it will be the complete opposite in this situation. You will want ventilation so you don’t have to inhale any of the stain fumes.

3) Start staining
Use a two-inch paint brush to go with the grain with long, even strokes. If you find that you applied too much in one area, you can lightly wipe it off with a rag. Always make sure that you are working towards an exit door. 

4) Repeat if necessary
Let the stain dry, then assess whether you’d like the finish to be darker. If so, apply a second coat. If there are any light spots, you may want to apply an additional coat.

6) Applying the finishing touch

When the stain is completely dry, it’s time for the last step—protecting the finish with polyurethane sealer. Using a high-density foam roller (and if necessary, a two-inch brush for some parts of the room), apply a thin, even coat across the entire floor surface. Wipe up any excess, then let the coat dry to a glossy finish.

Materials and Tools Available at Rayneau

– Shop vac 
– Tack cloth
– Protective eye-wear and dust mask or respirator
– Stain
– Lambswool stain applicator
– Rags
– Two-inch paintbrushes
– Polyurethane sealer
– High density foam roller

– Protective gear

For more details, call 450-7247 and ask to speak to Michael in our Paint  and Sundries Department for expert advice on staining your hardwood floors. At Rayneau,we're Always Happy to Serve You.