Staining Saga

Previously, I discussed the process of sanding my hardwood floors. Today, I will share with you my staining experiences. This was a much more enjoyable, manageable task.

Floor staining is a project for which you will find a number of different sets of instructions. Some say to do one coat of stain, others say 2-3. Some say you should wipe the stain off after applying, others don't. Some say apply 1-2 coats of polyurethane finish, others say 3-4. I took the advice of the guy who sanded our floors and did it like this:

• Wipe down floor with mineral spirits (using a 4-lb. package of painter's rags from Home Depot). Wait 45 minutes.
• Apply 2-foot-wide strip of stain (I used oil-based) down the full length of the floor using a 10" applicator on a pole (use a paint brush to cut in edges).
• Immediately go back to beginning of strip and wipe off excess stain using painter's rags. Discard a rag once it becomes completely covered in stain (This won't take long - I went through about two 4-lb packs of rags during this project, which covered about 400 square feet).
• Repeat across length of floor, starting and ending so that you are not painted into a corner.*
• Allow to dry overnight (plus maybe a few more hours if needed).
• Wipe down the floor with damp painter's rags. By the time you finish, the area in which you started should be dry.
• Apply polyurethane (I used oil-based) to floor using different 10" applicator (no need to wipe off). Wait overnight.
• Lightly sand floor with 220-grit sandpaper. This helps knock down any bumps in the floor and scuffs the previous layer of poly in order to help the next layer appear. It also allows you to find hairs and other debris that became trapped in the previous layer.
• Repeat the previous two steps two more times, for a total of three coats of polyurethane.
• Stay off the floor as much as possible for the next couple of days; definitely don't put any heavy items on the floor during this time.

I found that I used less stain and polyurethane than the label suggested I would need. Staining is really easy, because it is obvious where you left off after your last pass. Adding poly is harder, though, because it is clear, and when you are doing your 2nd and 3rd coats, it is difficult to see what is wet and what is dry. It helps to have lots of light, which I really did not.

You should also crack some windows and wear a respirator while applying these materials.

I also stained our baseboards as part of this project. While my floors are oak, the baseboards are pine. It is suggested that, for soft woods like pine, that you apply a wood conditioner before staining. I complied with this suggestion. The conditioner label suggests you apply it, wait about 15 minutes, wipe off excess conditioner, then stain within 2 hours. I found that waiting longer before applying stain works better. I guess the conditioner needs time to soak in to maximize its effect. I ended up waiting about an hour.

Here is the living room floor in its final state. The baseboards had not yet been stained (one hadn't been reinstalled yet). 

Refinishing the floors was a laborious process, but I am quite happy with the floors. If you come over, don't be surprised if I refuse to let you do anything that has a small chance of damaging the floors or their finish in any way. I apologize in advance. I hope this little tutorial helps you if you attempt to tackle a similar project.

*For some reason, I remember this episode of Valerie's Family, aka The Hogan Family (I didn't even remember the name of the show; I had to look at Jason Bateman's filmography to find it) in which Jason's character and his mom were painting the floor (although I don't know why one would paint a floor) and they ended up painting themselves into a corner. Despair at their predicament turned into some lovely mother-son bonding time.

Update: I completed another staining project in November 2011. Some more notes:

• I used Cabot stain (tinted Cinnamon) and Varathane polyurethane (satin).
• This time, I tried to do my 2nd poly coat ASAP after the first. The can says wait 4 hours, or until finish is clear and hard (not tacky). I had to wait 9 hours, and I probably should have waited longer. It was about 65 degrees that day, so not even that cold (cold temps increase drying time).
• Again, you won't need as much product as the cans may suggest. The Cabot 1-quart can says it covers 100-150 square feet. It covered about 150 for me.
• Lowe's had two different applicator pads: one that was foam-like and another than was lambskin. I didn't like the latter - it absorbed too much product.