Before you comment or email asking what stain to use, you can find out what I use and recommend (UK and US) by downloading my free eBook about the products I use. It has fillers, lacquers, oils, stains everything you need to know, go to howtosandafloor.com/products/
Are you blind? 34 years? His floor is so god awful ugly, replete with so many irregularities, lap marks & grotesque linear & blotchy high contrast tonal inconsistencies that it's an absolute wonder he ever posted this god awful ghetto project in the first place. A total testament to the sheer stupidity of man in the modern era that he has even one single like.
@KarlaEPerez apply the stain with a rag always with the grain , about a 3 foot section. Than go back and wipe excess off with clean rag , for a better result water pop the floor prior and let dry before applying stain.
ATTENTION: In my research, I have seen so so many videos on how to stain a floor and they all use different methods. This leads one to believe that ONLY ONE method is right. Either way, I like this method and this guy knows his stuff. Often it is not a particualr method that is wrong BUT a step within a method. For example, one guy did not sand down enough to get rid of old stain and his final job was patchy. It had nothing to do with the fact that he applied stain with a brush (vs rag / vs. spongee / vs applicator). At the end of the day, multiple professionals all have their ONE way. I believe the principles matter. Either way, I like this video. another interesting fact is that haters hate on EVERY principle regardless. No one will agree with every method even though multiple methods work great. thanks for the great video - this method worked very well!
@mpreiss exactly! Space ships are Aluminum or maybe even an advanced form of titanium carbide alloy. Either way, I would treat it differently than a wood floor. A wood floor is an opportunity to hone one's skills whilst daring to be creative: to be one with the wood and one with ones own peculiarity, a unique masterpiece undertaken with principles AND the personal. Conversely only one specific exact way exists to finish a spaceship body: tremclad exterior spray paint
@@TechNACITYbjj yeah, its like cooking which is more of an art, with room for creativity and variations vrs baking, which is more of a science, that needs exact measurements and temperatures.(my expertise)
Staining a new red oak floor, followed your instructions exactly and all was well until the final row when I was dripping sweat uncontrollably.....Alas, I will begin the sanding process from square one again! I honestly didn't even consider that factor.
How about darker lines in between those sections where you apply the stain. (Where the stain overlaps) I don’t like the darker spots that not belong to the wood
Lesson to be learned here for me was using a stand up applicator to apply finish. Makes the job easier and faster. Just pay particular attention that you don't leave puddles. Sanding is to me an art as you muse be careful not to sand in one particular spot to Other than this the whole job is rather easy but very time consuming too long. Do not rush!
+How To Sand A Floor ..... ok i have a question about the floor in my house is old stain but i want to repaint over it , can you tell me what do i need to do ..... thanks
If y'all can't say nothing nice please dismiss your self because obviously y'all don't know what y'all doing or other wise you would be on his video watching it I think he did a great job and thank you for sharing it.
I do these daily . But with a buffer and a foam pad and rags . Pour a little at a time and have someone cut the corners in . Then dry rags to go back over .
Great instructional video, Benjamin. I read somewhere that you need to leave the stain on 5 to 10 minutes. However, in your video, you wipe excess stain off within seconds. Is there a reason why, besides the need to make a quicker video? Thanks.
Thank you very much for the videos on how to sand, fill, stain and lacquer wood floors. I plan to try to do this on my own on my old oak floors and after watching these videos I feel much more informed to go about it. I would like them to come as close to the darkest brown/espresso color as possible. Do you have any suggestions on a color stain/brand that I can use or do I need to do more than 2 coats? I have some pretty deep scratches on the floors that I'm afraid may not even out with sanding, will the filler fill them in or should I work some of the dust mixture in the scratches first? Also, do you have any before and after pictures?
Nicole Wong-DeSantis Thanks for comments and questions. As for color, it sounds like you want something like a Jacobean dark oak. I can't really recommend a manufacturer, because i don't know whats available to you. Stain is usually just 1 coat if its done properly. Make sure you go to the website and read the article on staining. Usually scratches look very deep and infact they are much shallower than they appear. It is very rare to have a scratch that won't come out with sanding. Good luck!
Hi Ben! This video is really informative and helpful thanks! Looking for some advice about staining products. Need a black stain/laquer which has minimal fumes. Our customer's little girl is athsmatic , so we're looking for the safest option. I wondered if you could reccommend any product which may be suitable please? Any help much appreciated! Cheers!
what did you do to finish the concrete at the old fireplace? i have this problem with my floor and have no idea how to finish it, i'll be sanding and staining in a few weeks...don't really want to resort to chipping it away
geesterfunk what i always say to my customers is that you can chip it out and lay some reclaimed boards down (staggering it into the floor as much as possible), BUT reclaimed boards never ever match fully, you will always know that some sort of repair work has taken place. I advise people to either paint it or lay some tiles over it and make it a feature.
I used this technique with Dura Seal True Black on (water popped) top nailed white Oak...lol, you make it look easy by the way...Everything went well, but i have what can be described as minor buffing marks from my knee pads. Can only be seen with back lighting. Ben, You think they will come out with two coats of Mega One? Thanks for the great vids...
You don't prestain that pine to keep blochiness down? Plus I put the stain down with the buffer and carpet applicator. No more of that hunched over all day long.
Most trailers it all depends has cabinet doors that have wrap around them yes you can stain them it just takes a long time to have the stain dry you have to be extra careful because it's going to be easier to put on and it's not going to absorb it as well but yes you can do that to a laminate floors also because I have done it to both and it looks great
I watched your video and read your blog post. I've also watched all of your sanding videos. I think I'm ready to dive in head first (I hope there's water in the pool)! I have to ask, though, is there a better brush that you prefer to use? Also what type of "rag"? Also, how many times do I stain, and what do I coat it with after? Two passes of stain, and one pass of weather protector? What's the difference between stain and lacquer? Do I buff the floor in between? So many questions? Do you have a series of videos that shows ALL steps from start to finish?
cscooper2000 I do have an ebook available on the site that has it all, but in short, 1 stain 2 protectors, stain is colouring, lacquer is protecting. I would use a waterbased polyurethane lacquer and then rub-down/buff after the first coat of poly
***** Yes, but on that floor I would probably end up doing it like that and earning my money the hard way! Questions What stain? Morrells? and What are those dark bands down the sides of a lot of the boards? The wood looked the same colour until it was stained then dark bands appeared.
Thanks will be doing mine in the summer months thanks for all these useful tips I'm going to do it now that I know what I'm doing great stuff thanks again
Do you recommend a solvent with polyurethane? Some people mix 50/50 varsol (mineral spirits) for the first coat... just to make it easier to roll on the floor with a roller?
Hi have you ever had you sandpaper shatter? I’m using a hired floor sander Hitech ht8 but it’s shattered every sheer I have fitted so far. I’ve stayed with Grit 24 as the floor was a little bowed and I need to make it flat?
yes, its because its paper backed and not polyester backed. Its weak cheap sandpaper. You should ask for a refund. Make sure all the nails are punched and that the paper is tight around the drum before you screw the plate down. But yeah that sandpaper is rubbish!
has the floor had a finish coat put on? or is it just the stain? if the floor has been properly finish I would give it 2 weeks just to be sure If its just stain, you dont mop it, it needs to have a finish coat on it
Hi, thanks so much for this video. So my husband and i recently purchased a house and we're doing big reno with a contractor. We just picked the "dark walnut" stain for our wood floors and when i saw the 1st coat i fell sick to my stomach because it looks almost black. I've been watching videos on how to stain and most of them say that after a coat your're supposed to wipe the stain off, but my guys left it on for 2 days to then lightly sand it and then shine it.. Is this another way of doing it? or are they doing it wrong? Please help!!! :(
Carolina Burgos It all depends on the product, lots of products act differently. Generally the idea of stain is to saturate the open surface of the wood and then wipe off any excess stain. Did you watch them apply the stain? Are you sure they didn't wipe off? One of the reasons for lightly sanding the floor between coats is that sometimes after the first coat, very tiny parts of the grain soak up the finish (usually a waterbased finish, this doesn't happen so much with oils and solvents) and swell giving the floor an almost rough texture. The problem is if you lightly sand the stain you may damage it and reveal the colour of the wood. It sounds to me like they used a coloured lacquer or oil. If that's the case then they are doing the right thing. People often have problems like this which is why whenever I am staining, I put samples down on the floor for the customer to see. So they know how it looks on their floor. Then sand it off and apply.
***** YES i saw them apply the stain with a roller and they saw me get worried and disapproving the way they looked, but they told me not to worry because the job is not done and that it's gonna look a little lighter because they need to lightly sand it and then put the gloss/finish... I did not know anything about floors until i came home and started searching for some explanation.
***** yup, that's what I tried to explain to him and we just ended up having and argument...I told him to just sand it again and not to paint them again, I'll get someone else because the job is hideous
just need to know the pro and con of staining a herringbone solid floor please? I was thinking of sanding and then staining it walnut before applying the final coats.
Would you mind to tell me what type of wood that is on the floor, pine or cypress and the thickness, tongue and groove solid wood? Also, what color of stain is that jacobean or dark walnut by chance. I mix my stains by percentage to get a variation of color combo to accent certain textures within the wood. P.S. Can't believe you did that without a mask. Brave!
Hi I've just bought a house which has a lovely wooden floor throughout. Unfortunately the floor boards are butted up so closely together that there is clearly no ventilation. Also the structural surveyor said that in time the floor will start to bow where it expands. Is there a way to remedy this? can I saw between the floor boards with a circular saw to create space? Thanks in advance Regards Nick
rebecca thirkell You can do that but it may make your floor look a bit naff, especially if it's a nice floor. I would pull off the skirting and use the rail saw (circular saw on a rail) and trim the edges so there is a good amount of expansion cap under the skirting once you put it back on
Many thanks for sharing this video. Can you please let me know what color of stain has been applied on the floor in this video? was dark oak or Medium Oak?
Ok so if I may ask sir my 73 year old hardwood floors were sanded by 000 steel wool 10 years ago and I applied Oil base polyurethane it took almost a week to dry. Will never use that again. What I want to do is Screen with sandpaper 120 grit and the side by side or with 150 screens. Then clean it all up and put down prestain first then golden oak stain from Minwax. Then 24 hours later water base procoat Titan satin. Do you think that is possible. Ty. From New York.
John Rittipo-Moore believe me if i didn't have to be on my hands and knees like this i wouldn't. The stain has to be ragged off, it can't be rolled off. You can roll the stain on but it just applied too much, you would need a lot more rag to rag it off and you would be using far more stain. As it happens i was using an acrylic stain yesterday, i tried rolling it on as the product suggested. But i used 1 whole rag just getting the first line off. Ended up ragging on and ragging off as my supplier suggested. Looked ace
real stain doesn't leave a film on the surface so yes its ideal to lacquer the floor for protection after staining. You don't need to prep the floor before staining. The new "white wash" stains that lighten the floor these days often need a primer but that's different.
Great video. I want to try this but with a darker color. A lot of the videos skip the person doing the whole job. Thanks for showing us everything, and just speeding it up instead of cutting from before, to a few feet done and then to final product. Regards!
I don’t clean them, I use a new one every time. You could wash the stain out with white spirit. The lacquer would be water but they’re never the same again. Use and throw for me.
I am going to be staining Tassie Oak floors, and I think this method will be super useful (just watching the video has taught me a bit about how stain behaves, so thank you), BUT! I was wondering, if I want my stain to be a little darker (the oak super light), is it OK to do a couple of coats? I have read very mixed responses to this. Thanks in advance!
I recently stained a hardwood floor the stain is not drying and it has been aprox 4 days. I assume this is due to me not using the dry cloth to dry the excess stain as I went. Now I have a tacky floor. I have read that I should do another coat of stain on top and dry as I go as the new coat of stain will lift the excess stain from the first coat that I did. My question to you is does this sound like how I should be going about fixing this or is there another method? Also should I sand after this new coat is put on and do a third coat as I walked on the tacky floor thinking it would be dry and left some foot prints in the stain? Any response would be appreciated. Thanks!
jordan marshall hello, and thanks for your question, sorry the answer is a little late. Was it a waterbased or solvent based stain? Or a coloured oil or other kind of coloured finish? You are supposed to leave stain for a few hours but i am often lacquering 30 mins after finishing the staining (i use solvent). Stain should never be "tacky" or "sticky," because if it is its probably a coloured finish. And IF it is a coloured finish, it probably shouldn't be applied in this way.
I use a lamb whool aplicater and a pole with the edges trimmed so not to get stain on the base boards as i apply stain 1 or 2 crackheads I hired that morning will rub in/wipe away excess stain in a left to right movement with clean rags all the time keeping the base boards as clean as possible takes 20 minutes.
Hi. I was curious to know if you sand laminate floor in order to stain it, is there a literal laminate layer that will be sanded off or will you take off the "photo" print of the wood grain in due course? I want to stain an "antique oak" laminate floor of approx 25m² to white, charcoal or black without taking away the striations and knots/whorls. I would hopefully then bring to a high shine with a varnish. Thanks for any feedback.
You cannot do this at all, it’s literally an image on the surface which can’t be adjusted. You may be able to paint on areas worn off to try and hide wear, and possibly put some sort of coating over the top. Other than that it’s rip out and replace.
Does any 1 know this cos am having problems never done before, but I tried mahogany on spare white wood cos am putting it on white, any way it’s got a colour but shows marks underneath, don’t want to see white wood plus tried red mahogany dye still the same problem
+danny sparkle probably half an hour, can't remember but was rarely more than 45 mins. On the tin it says like 6 hours but experience knows better. I also know that other stains aren't so easy going, so stick to the instructions on the product yoou're using
Railey’s custom renovations owner here.... I’ll tell you price varies by location and what’s CURRENTLY down on your floor ect. To give you a rough idea..... large companies charge anywhere between $7-15/sf. Smaller companies with less overhead charge closer to $4-8/sf. Like I said it’s all depending on what’s currently down, and what you’re replacing it with. It’s a time consuming process and refinishing of hardwood floors is icy more based on PREPARATION rather than technique.
Curious if you have to use a water based stain, or if you can use an oil based one if you plan on using a water based poly (Dura Seal). Currently looking at using a Minwax oil stain for the color I like, and then sealing, and adding the dura seal. Or do I have to get a water based stain? I figure the sealer should handle that, but not 100% sure.
Shyatic in this video i am not using a waterbased stain but i did lacquer it with waterbased. It can work. The stain i used, i can best describe as being "spirit based" , most english people say solvent based, americans call it oil based.
***** Awesome, thanks -- what water based lacquer would you recommend? I've been looking around, seems Dura Seal is one of the more popular ones. I have kids so the fumes are great to avoid, plus the faster dry time.
After sanding my floor using various grades of sandpaper from 60grit to 120 i dampen the floor with a rag using water and a little white spirit, i then use either a small orbital hand sander with 240 grit or do it by hand. I think rustins wood dye and then pv67 by sadolin are the best ways to finish the floor. Did you use rustins or was it another brand of stain?
Before you comment or email asking what stain to use, you can find out what I use and recommend (UK and US) by downloading my free eBook about the products I use. It has fillers, lacquers, oils, stains everything you need to know, go to howtosandafloor.com/products/
Rick James who hurt you?
@@organicallyhannah I don’t get this but it still made me laugh 🤣
This was extremely helpful. Done sanding 5 rooms and a hallway (don’t ever want to do that again in this lifetime) now on to staining!! Wish me luck.
How did it turn out?
😂💪
I'm afraid to see.. 🙏🤷
OMG! SO TRUE. I Sand 6 Rooms and a Long Hallway; Woke Up the Next Morning, Feeling Like I "Been Banged Up from Football, whereas, I was the Ball.
@@badsport-s4b How long did it take you to do?
Been doing floors for 34 years, tried buffing stain , didn't like it. Still do wipe on, wipe off. It does a better job. Nice work on the staining.
This comment probably just saved me another $56 home depot rental for a floor buffer that I didn't want to rent. Thanks!
Are you blind? 34 years? His floor is so god awful ugly, replete with so many irregularities, lap marks & grotesque linear & blotchy high contrast tonal inconsistencies that it's an absolute wonder he ever posted this god awful ghetto project in the first place. A total testament to the sheer stupidity of man in the modern era that he has even one single like.
What do you mean by wipe on wipe off ?
@KarlaEPerez apply the stain with a rag always with the grain , about a 3 foot section. Than go back and wipe excess off with clean rag , for a better result water pop the floor prior and let dry before applying stain.
ATTENTION: In my research, I have seen so so many videos on how to stain a floor and they all use different methods. This leads one to believe that ONLY ONE method is right. Either way, I like this method and this guy knows his stuff. Often it is not a particualr method that is wrong BUT a step within a method. For example, one guy did not sand down enough to get rid of old stain and his final job was patchy. It had nothing to do with the fact that he applied stain with a brush (vs rag / vs. spongee / vs applicator). At the end of the day, multiple professionals all have their ONE way. I believe the principles matter. Either way, I like this video. another interesting fact is that haters hate on EVERY principle regardless. No one will agree with every method even though multiple methods work great. thanks for the great video - this method worked very well!
thanks for the comment! :)
Well said. Retain what's useful, and add your own spin if a method is discovered.
Yes, it's wood, not a space ship
@mpreiss exactly! Space ships are Aluminum or maybe even an advanced form of titanium carbide alloy. Either way, I would treat it differently than a wood floor. A wood floor is an opportunity to hone one's skills whilst daring to be creative: to be one with the wood and one with ones own peculiarity, a unique masterpiece undertaken with principles AND the personal. Conversely only one specific exact way exists to finish a spaceship body: tremclad exterior spray paint
@@TechNACITYbjj yeah, its like cooking which is more of an art, with room for creativity and variations vrs baking, which is more of a science, that needs exact measurements and temperatures.(my expertise)
your channel has been the most helpful of all the videos on here.. from filling to sanding to staining... thank you
Thank you! I'm doing my stairs after ripping off carpet; what a job!! Never stained before and needed some tips. Grateful for your video.
Man you were young in this video I been watching your videos from the very start until now and I see that your name could be perfection over the years
I am almost done sanding. Glad to get a jump on how to stain next. Nice and simple but essential advice.
Thank you so much; I did my floors based on your video which make me understand the right way to stain a floor. Thank you again
Hi, FYI treating pine with pre stain conditioner yields a more even finish. Good video, thanks!
Definitely google the results of both with and without. I actually like the dramatic variety of colors.
"you can do it as long as you know how". Profound!
lol
Staining a new red oak floor, followed your instructions exactly and all was well until the final row when I was dripping sweat uncontrollably.....Alas, I will begin the sanding process from square one again! I honestly didn't even consider that factor.
How about darker lines in between those sections where you apply the stain. (Where the stain overlaps) I don’t like the darker spots that not belong to the wood
I use the buffer and an industrial carpet bonnet. Works awesome! I used to do it with a brush and rag, never again.
Lesson to be learned here for me was using a stand up applicator to apply finish. Makes the job easier and faster. Just pay particular attention that you don't leave puddles. Sanding is to me an art as you muse be careful not to sand in one particular spot to Other than this the whole job is rather easy but very time consuming too long. Do not rush!
Awesome !
You are the Guru of the wooden Floor !
Sure am! ;)
+How To Sand A Floor ..... ok i have a question about the floor in my house is old stain but i want to repaint over it , can you tell me what do i need to do ..... thanks
If y'all can't say nothing nice please dismiss your self because obviously y'all don't know what y'all doing or other wise you would be on his video watching it I think he did a great job and thank you for sharing it.
Thanks looked great. Now if only I could finish pulling up the carpet! So many staples in the underlay, back breaking to try pull out!!
I'm sick of my floors and the nails. sick of it.
I do these daily . But with a buffer and a foam pad and rags . Pour a little at a time and have someone cut the corners in . Then dry rags to go back over .
You don't treat pine wood prior to staining to prevent the blotchiness?
Dude, You Made This Look SO Easy. Thanks, Heading to Home Depot, NOW!
Glad I could help!
u just gotta love stained wooden floors. so gorgeous.
Nice job. Was this pine? If not, how should I approach staining this wood?
Should you add a seal before staining? Or is this unnecessary?
I’m staining my floors and am clueless
Great instructional video, Benjamin. I read somewhere that you need to leave the stain on 5 to 10 minutes. However, in your video, you wipe excess stain off within seconds. Is there a reason why, besides the need to make a quicker video? Thanks.
Came for a lesson in staining, stayed for dat funk! Thanks
Thank you very much for the videos on how to sand, fill, stain and lacquer wood floors. I plan to try to do this on my own on my old oak floors and after watching these videos I feel much more informed to go about it. I would like them to come as close to the darkest brown/espresso color as possible. Do you have any suggestions on a color stain/brand that I can use or do I need to do more than 2 coats? I have some pretty deep scratches on the floors that I'm afraid may not even out with sanding, will the filler fill them in or should I work some of the dust mixture in the scratches first? Also, do you have any before and after pictures?
Nicole Wong-DeSantis Thanks for comments and questions. As for color, it sounds like you want something like a Jacobean dark oak. I can't really recommend a manufacturer, because i don't know whats available to you. Stain is usually just 1 coat if its done properly. Make sure you go to the website and read the article on staining. Usually scratches look very deep and infact they are much shallower than they appear. It is very rare to have a scratch that won't come out with sanding. Good luck!
Just done our floors upstairs, but used an Osmo floor brush. Soooo much quicker and easier than doing it on your hands and knees with a couple of rags
I used it too, but it left quite a lot of brush streaks, did you have the same problem at all?
Yes, they had the same problem. Thats why you should use rags..
Could you tell me the color of stain this is & as well as the brand?
Hi Ben! This video is really informative and helpful thanks! Looking for some advice about staining products. Need a black stain/laquer which has minimal fumes. Our customer's little girl is athsmatic , so we're looking for the safest option. I wondered if you could reccommend any product which may be suitable please? Any help much appreciated! Cheers!
what did you do to finish the concrete at the old fireplace?
i have this problem with my floor and have no idea how to finish it, i'll be sanding and staining in a few weeks...don't really want to resort to chipping it away
geesterfunk what i always say to my customers is that you can chip it out and lay some reclaimed boards down (staggering it into the floor as much as possible), BUT reclaimed boards never ever match fully, you will always know that some sort of repair work has taken place. I advise people to either paint it or lay some tiles over it and make it a feature.
***** cheers for the advice mate.
and keep up the hard graft, your site's a good yin.
I used this technique with Dura Seal True Black on (water popped) top nailed white Oak...lol, you make it look easy by the way...Everything went well, but i have what can be described as minor buffing marks from my knee pads. Can only be seen with back lighting. Ben, You think they will come out with two coats of Mega One? Thanks for the great vids...
You don't prestain that pine to keep blochiness down? Plus I put the stain down with the buffer and carpet applicator. No more of that hunched over all day long.
What type of rag is best for applying the stain and removing the excess
Which cloth to use? Microfiber or cotton cloth for staining with hand?
Great vid; I did a whole room with a brush, but the rag looks much easier!
I put the stain on withba brush, and rag it off.
Can you stain a room in sections if you can’t move all the furniture out? It’s a large room a 1/4 of a 1200sq ft basement?
What kind of stain are you using? Do you have a link to the product? Many thanks
I don’t know if you were high but you certainly got it done quickly.
This is exactly what I needed demonstrated. Why were some boards much darker than others?
Do you mix anything with that stain cos thats watered with something
after staining how long do you wait to apply the finishing lacquer?
Depends on what stain you use and how well you blend it while staining. With minwax you can do it within 1-2 hours
Hi mate
Questions you don't use masking tape between joint?
Does it have to be finished the same day?
Good work ! What kind of rug do u use ?
Can you use pre stain underneath ?
Tape off down long edge about 1m in (knealing width), dooways ,exit areas, half the hallway, let dry then go back and do the rest.for a start
Your videos are so helpful! Thank you so much for the tutorials made it easy since it was my first time doing any work on my wood floors!
Gaby Reyes Awesome, glad i could help
Most trailers it all depends has cabinet doors that have wrap around them yes you can stain them it just takes a long time to have the stain dry you have to be extra careful because it's going to be easier to put on and it's not going to absorb it as well but yes you can do that to a laminate floors also because I have done it to both and it looks great
what kind of stain product is that ? Trader or homemade ?
Do you change your rag that you are wiping after you apply the stain to a clean one?
OK! I put stain on and didn't wipe off excess..Did i mess it up? what do i do now.. Can i just varnish over it ??
I watched your video and read your blog post. I've also watched all of your sanding videos. I think I'm ready to dive in head first (I hope there's water in the pool)! I have to ask, though, is there a better brush that you prefer to use? Also what type of "rag"? Also, how many times do I stain, and what do I coat it with after? Two passes of stain, and one pass of weather protector? What's the difference between stain and lacquer? Do I buff the floor in between? So many questions? Do you have a series of videos that shows ALL steps from start to finish?
cscooper2000 I do have an ebook available on the site that has it all, but in short, 1 stain 2 protectors, stain is colouring, lacquer is protecting. I would use a waterbased polyurethane lacquer and then rub-down/buff after the first coat of poly
Pro's rarely stain by hand unless we forget something.
Good effort.
Howard Chislett you use buffer?
***** Yes, but on that floor I would probably end up doing it like that and earning my money the hard way!
Questions
What stain? Morrells?
and
What are those dark bands down the sides of a lot of the boards? The wood looked the same colour until it was stained then dark bands appeared.
i think you know ;) the floor wasn't sanded by me, i wondered if i was going to upload the video because of that, i may do another vid soon
Well, I'm glad to see I did it the same way you did. I even got acceptable chatoyance out of mine.
Dude. Your like a Pro !!!
Question
Can you use 3 coats of stain to get it more darker
Thanks will be doing mine in the summer months thanks for all these useful tips I'm going to do it now that I know what I'm doing great stuff thanks again
Do you recommend a solvent with polyurethane? Some people mix 50/50 varsol (mineral spirits) for the first coat... just to make it easier to roll on the floor with a roller?
It works best straight out of the can. Don’t mess with it. If it was better with spirits they would ad the spirits. So many myths in this industry!
Hi have you ever had you sandpaper shatter? I’m using a hired floor sander Hitech ht8 but it’s shattered every sheer I have fitted so far. I’ve stayed with Grit 24 as the floor was a little bowed and I need to make it flat?
yes, its because its paper backed and not polyester backed. Its weak cheap sandpaper. You should ask for a refund. Make sure all the nails are punched and that the paper is tight around the drum before you screw the plate down. But yeah that sandpaper is rubbish!
Thanks for sharing your method is very easy and simple just to get my job done 👍
When is the best time to mop the floor after completing a stain job?
has the floor had a finish coat put on? or is it just the stain? if the floor has been properly finish I would give it 2 weeks just to be sure
If its just stain, you dont mop it, it needs to have a finish coat on it
9:55 response. You can also pilot a space shuttle as long as you know how. Lol jus kidding I've learned so much from this guy.
Hi... I'm about to put Larix sibirica floor, do I need to sand it before stain it? Since it has no paint on it, it's brand new.
Zlo Zlodi Usually unfinished floors have bad pilling marks on the surface, usually they do need a little sanding.
Hi, thanks so much for this video. So my husband and i recently purchased a house and we're doing big reno with a contractor. We just picked the "dark walnut" stain for our wood floors and when i saw the 1st coat i fell sick to my stomach because it looks almost black. I've been watching videos on how to stain and most of them say that after a coat your're supposed to wipe the stain off, but my guys left it on for 2 days to then lightly sand it and then shine it.. Is this another way of doing it? or are they doing it wrong? Please help!!! :(
Carolina Burgos It all depends on the product, lots of products act differently. Generally the idea of stain is to saturate the open surface of the wood and then wipe off any excess stain. Did you watch them apply the stain? Are you sure they didn't wipe off?
One of the reasons for lightly sanding the floor between coats is that sometimes after the first coat, very tiny parts of the grain soak up the finish (usually a waterbased finish, this doesn't happen so much with oils and solvents) and swell giving the floor an almost rough texture. The problem is if you lightly sand the stain you may damage it and reveal the colour of the wood.
It sounds to me like they used a coloured lacquer or oil. If that's the case then they are doing the right thing. People often have problems like this which is why whenever I am staining, I put samples down on the floor for the customer to see. So they know how it looks on their floor. Then sand it off and apply.
***** YES i saw them apply the stain with a roller and they saw me get worried and disapproving the way they looked, but they told me not to worry because the job is not done and that it's gonna look a little lighter because they need to lightly sand it and then put the gloss/finish... I did not know anything about floors until i came home and started searching for some explanation.
Carolina Burgos ok that definitely doesn't sound right
***** yup, that's what I tried to explain to him and we just ended up having and argument...I told him to just sand it again and not to paint them again, I'll get someone else because the job is hideous
just need to know the pro and con of staining a herringbone solid floor please? I was thinking of sanding and then staining it walnut before applying the final coats.
appreciate the lesson! getting ready to do this!
You are the best online floor guy. Liked and sub
Thank you! :)
Would you mind to tell me what type of wood that is on the floor, pine or cypress and the thickness, tongue and groove solid wood? Also, what color of stain is that jacobean or dark walnut by chance. I mix my stains by percentage to get a variation of color combo to accent certain textures within the wood. P.S. Can't believe you did that without a mask. Brave!
Don't u have to stain the floor more than one time ? and about the wax to get it shine?
Hi
I've just bought a house which has a lovely wooden floor throughout. Unfortunately the floor boards are butted up so closely together that there is clearly no ventilation. Also the structural surveyor said that in time the floor will start to bow where it expands. Is there a way to remedy this? can I saw between the floor boards with a circular saw to create space?
Thanks in advance
Regards Nick
rebecca thirkell You can do that but it may make your floor look a bit naff, especially if it's a nice floor. I would pull off the skirting and use the rail saw (circular saw on a rail) and trim the edges so there is a good amount of expansion cap under the skirting once you put it back on
Is the rag you use to wipe the excess a wet or dry rag??
Many thanks for sharing this video. Can you please let me know what color of stain has been applied on the floor in this video? was dark oak or Medium Oak?
Dude, Like your video make it look so easy ! thsnks
Hello UK have you heard of putting stain down with a side by side buffer with a carpet pad
Of course, unfortunately we haven’t had any stain that made that possible until very recently
Ok so if I may ask sir my 73 year old hardwood floors were sanded by 000 steel wool 10 years ago and I applied Oil base polyurethane it took almost a week to dry.
Will never use that again.
What I want to do is Screen with sandpaper 120 grit and the side by side or with 150 screens. Then clean it all up and put down prestain first then golden oak stain from Minwax. Then 24 hours later water base procoat Titan satin.
Do you think that is possible.
Ty. From New York.
You should condition a floor like that before staining, so you don’t have dark patches like that.
What is the dry time from staining to putting the top coat on? Im planning on using a poly finish thats wiped.
Did you use a hardwood conditioner or just plain water on the wood so that it would accept the stain?
None, never done that. I have used a very thin primer for a whitewash but that's it
Good video! What brand and color of stain did you use?
are there benefits to using a rag rather than a roller? Seems like it'll take a long time ragging it up.
John Rittipo-Moore believe me if i didn't have to be on my hands and knees like this i wouldn't. The stain has to be ragged off, it can't be rolled off. You can roll the stain on but it just applied too much, you would need a lot more rag to rag it off and you would be using far more stain. As it happens i was using an acrylic stain yesterday, i tried rolling it on as the product suggested. But i used 1 whole rag just getting the first line off. Ended up ragging on and ragging off as my supplier suggested. Looked ace
***** ok great. how did you prep the floor before staining? methylated spirit? do you need to lacquer after staining? thanks!
real stain doesn't leave a film on the surface so yes its ideal to lacquer the floor for protection after staining. You don't need to prep the floor before staining. The new "white wash" stains that lighten the floor these days often need a primer but that's different.
Was the wood pretreated? Or was it a 2-1 stain and treatment?
Great video. I want to try this but with a darker color. A lot of the videos skip the person doing the whole job. Thanks for showing us everything, and just speeding it up instead of cutting from before, to a few feet done and then to final product. Regards!
Christopher Martone Thank you!
you shld try staining with a wall brush? you can get diffrent widths so much faster and easier. I use to stain like this but its way to hard!
What spirits do you use to clean your rollers and from staining and varnish ?
I don’t clean them, I use a new one every time. You could wash the stain out with white spirit. The lacquer would be water but they’re never the same again. Use and throw for me.
I just used a large rage & i like it without the stain to. Thank you
Here is a question what he is saying, you can not stain over a dye ? Cos I have read you can
I am going to be staining Tassie Oak floors, and I think this method will be super useful (just watching the video has taught me a bit about how stain behaves, so thank you), BUT! I was wondering, if I want my stain to be a little darker (the oak super light), is it OK to do a couple of coats? I have read very mixed responses to this. Thanks in advance!
Stefania Franja yeah it should be fine
How To Sand A Floor thanks so much for the prompt response - much appreciated!
How soon after staining is It safe to breathe in the air ? I googled it and came across posts thag say 42 hours max and others 30 days ?!!!
I recently stained a hardwood floor the stain is not drying and it has been aprox 4 days. I assume this is due to me not using the dry cloth to dry the excess stain as I went. Now I have a tacky floor. I have read that I should do another coat of stain on top and dry as I go as the new coat of stain will lift the excess stain from the first coat that I did. My question to you is does this sound like how I should be going about fixing this or is there another method? Also should I sand after this new coat is put on and do a third coat as I walked on the tacky floor thinking it would be dry and left some foot prints in the stain? Any response would be appreciated. Thanks!
jordan marshall hello, and thanks for your question, sorry the answer is a little late. Was it a waterbased or solvent based stain? Or a coloured oil or other kind of coloured finish?
You are supposed to leave stain for a few hours but i am often lacquering 30 mins after finishing the staining (i use solvent).
Stain should never be "tacky" or "sticky," because if it is its probably a coloured finish. And IF it is a coloured finish, it probably shouldn't be applied in this way.
Thank you for sharing you did a awasome job ! !!!🙌
What kind of wood is that? Very helpful video, thank you so much!!!
Standard pine floorboards, very, very common in the UK
I use a lamb whool aplicater and a pole with the edges trimmed so not to get stain on the base boards as i apply stain 1 or 2 crackheads I hired that morning will rub in/wipe away excess stain in a left to right movement with clean rags all the time keeping the base boards as clean as possible takes 20 minutes.
watching your vids between lacquer coats on my freshly sanded baltic pine floor! ... almost makes me wish i stained it too!
Naw. I stain with a lambs wool mop head. It goes on faster
Hi. I was curious to know if you sand laminate floor in order to stain it, is there a literal laminate layer that will be sanded off or will you take off the "photo" print of the wood grain in due course?
I want to stain an "antique oak" laminate floor of approx 25m² to white, charcoal or black without taking away the striations and knots/whorls.
I would hopefully then bring to a high shine with a varnish.
Thanks for any feedback.
You cannot do this at all, it’s literally an image on the surface which can’t be adjusted. You may be able to paint on areas worn off to try and hide wear, and possibly put some sort of coating over the top. Other than that it’s rip out and replace.
Put vinyl planks in super simple and last a while
What stain did you use?
Does any 1 know this cos am having problems never done before, but I tried mahogany on spare white wood cos am putting it on white, any way it’s got a colour but shows marks underneath, don’t want to see white wood plus tried red mahogany dye still the same problem
@howtosandafloor, how long did you leave the stain before applying the gloss? and then how long before you buffed it with 120? cheers
+danny sparkle probably half an hour, can't remember but was rarely more than 45 mins.
On the tin it says like 6 hours but experience knows better. I also know that other stains aren't so easy going, so stick to the instructions on the product yoou're using
+How To Sand A Floor thanks for the advise
you make it look so simple... but how much would it cost roughly for someone to come in and do the job? For roughly the same sized room.
+Tessa Leanne £400 or $600 more or less depending on location, details of floor and flooring company
Ok
How To Sand A Floor so like 2- 3 dollars sf ?materials incluided?.
Railey’s custom renovations owner here.... I’ll tell you price varies by location and what’s CURRENTLY down on your floor ect.
To give you a rough idea..... large companies charge anywhere between $7-15/sf.
Smaller companies with less overhead charge closer to $4-8/sf.
Like I said it’s all depending on what’s currently down, and what you’re replacing it with. It’s a time consuming process and refinishing of hardwood floors is icy more based on PREPARATION rather than technique.
Curious if you have to use a water based stain, or if you can use an oil based one if you plan on using a water based poly (Dura Seal).
Currently looking at using a Minwax oil stain for the color I like, and then sealing, and adding the dura seal. Or do I have to get a water based stain? I figure the sealer should handle that, but not 100% sure.
Shyatic in this video i am not using a waterbased stain but i did lacquer it with waterbased. It can work. The stain i used, i can best describe as being "spirit based" , most english people say solvent based, americans call it oil based.
***** Awesome, thanks -- what water based lacquer would you recommend? I've been looking around, seems Dura Seal is one of the more popular ones. I have kids so the fumes are great to avoid, plus the faster dry time.
Bona Traffic HD
After sanding my floor using various grades of sandpaper from 60grit to 120 i dampen the floor with a rag using water and a little white spirit, i then use either a small orbital hand sander with 240 grit or do it by hand. I think rustins wood dye and then pv67 by sadolin are the best ways to finish the floor. Did you use rustins or was it another brand of stain?
very similar to rustins yes, pv67 is a very good product, sounds like a job well done