If you have hardwood flooring in your home, you may have considered changing the coloring to better match interior walls and decor. Staining hardwood flooring can be a great way to change the appearance without changing the type of floor covering you have grown to love. Here are some guidelines to follow when attempting to stain your hardwood flooring.

Materials You Will Need

• Sander
• Fine-grit sandpaper
• Shop vacuum
• Mop or clean piece of cloth
• Bucket of water
• Sponge or clean piece of cloth
• Stain
• Polyurethane
• Paintbrush

Preparing The Surface

Before adding stain to your hardwood flooring, you need to sand it to prepare the grain for color application. Use a sander with fine-grit paper to lightly sand the entire surface of your floor. The edges and corners can be done by hand. Use a shop vacuum to remove all the sawdust from the flooring.

Use a mop or a clean piece of cloth dipped in water to moisten the entire floor surface. This will allow the grain of the wood to raise, making the stain adhere better overall. This method is called water popping. After you add the water, let it dry for a half an hour before starting to apply color.

Applying The Stain

Use a rag or sponge dipped into stain to apply the color to the floor. Start at the far corner of the room and work your way toward the doorway so you do not need to walk across the newly stained floor to get out. Rub the stain into the wood with the grain. Keep an extra piece of cloth on hand to mop up any stain that pools in an area due to excess application.

Making Finishing Touches

After the stain is applied, let the color soak into the wood for ten to fifteen minutes. Then, use a clean piece of cloth to rub down the entire floor starting in the far corner and working your way toward the door. This will help keep the tone of the color even throughout the floor. 

If the color does not look dark enough, add an extra coating. Rub the floor down once again to see if the extra stain made the flooring appear darker. When you have the desired color, allow it to dry overnight. The next day, add a coating of polyurethane to help seal in the color and to keep the floor from unnecessary wear.

For more information about hardwood flooring, visit National Carpet Mill Outlet.