Staining is a key step in the installation, maintenance and update of your hardwood flooring. While it’s best to leave the initial hardwood floor installation to the professionals, the difficulty level of restaining is moderate enough for the average layperson to do, provided you have the right equipment. What happens if you restain your entire floor only to realize that you don’t like the stain color after all? Before you commit to one stain and purchase multiple cans of it, follow these steps to conduct a hardwood floor stain test.
Table of Contents
1. Prepare Your Hardwood Floor
Before any testing can occur, you need to first prepare your hardwood floor. The current layers of finish and stain need to be removed through sanding, after which the floor will need to be buffed and cleaned. This same process needs to happen anyway before staining your entire floor.
Sanding
Use a professional-grade sander three times over your entire hardwood floor and an edger to access the corners or other hard to reach areas. With each successive sanding, apply progressively finer sandpaper. Sanding is complete when the previous stain and finish are completely removed and when the entire floor is free of dents. The hardwood should appear natural, washed out and smooth.
Buffing
If noticeable scratches remain after sanding, buffing will help to smooth the wood surface slightly more. Stand-up floor sanders and buffers are available for rent at most home improvement stores, but don’t return your buffer until after your restaining and refinishing process. You’ll want to buff the finish at the very end, giving your hardwood floors that professional-looking shine and smoothness.
Dusting
Sanding off a few layers of wood flooring is sure to leave behind clouds of dust. Wait at least a day for the dust to fully settle, and then rent a shop vac to vacuum up as much of it as possible. After this, use a microfiber cloth damped with mineral spirits to wipe down the entire floor. Be as thorough as possible since you won’t want stray dust particles to mix with your stain and finish later.
2. Apply Test Stains
Now that your hardwood floor is utterly bare, you’re ready for the fun part. First, open the windows and turn on some fans to prevent toxic fumes from lingering in the space for too long. It’s also a good idea to wear a mask to reduce how much of it you’re breathing in. Once your safety measures are in place, outline with masking tape as many small squares as you have stains to test. This will allow you to compare your stains side by side in a controlled, inconspicuous area. Finally, dampen a carpet pad, buffer or lambswool applicator with your first stain and paint it into the first square. Repeat for all your stains, labeling each section with its respective stain. Allow the stains to dry for a minimum of 48 hours in normal conditions or 72 hours in high humidity.
3. Observe and Compare
Once the stains are perfectly dry, take as much time as you need to think about which stain you like the best. Compare the stains for compatibility with your furniture and trim. Since lighting also influences the stains’ appearance, observe the results at different times of day and under the lighting you plan to use in the room. You may have been leaning toward one particular stain only to discover that another one fits your design goals even better.
There are several benefits to performing a test of your hardwood flooring stain options.
Primarily, it allows you to sample different kinds of stains and see with your own eyes which one looks the best. It can be challenging to imagine what a stain will look like in reality when you have nothing more than pictures to guide you. Secondly, the stain might interact with your particular type of wood differently from other kinds of wood, giving it a unique color, texture and grain. Finally, you’ll see firsthand how each stain performs alongside the unique lighting, furniture and décor of your home. Next time you need to re-stain your hardwood floors, perform the hardwood flooring stain test and get it right the first time like a real professional.
