Hardwood flooring staining is a long and involved process, especially if you have a lot of hardwood flooring in your home. If you have decided to re-stain your floors, choosing the color that is right for you is probably the number one thing on your mind. It is a big decision and one that you will be living with every day—so you want to make sure you don’t regret it! Once the entire floor is finished, it would be a massive project (not to mention very expensive) if you changed your mind about the color and had to redo it. We thought it might be helpful to provide some tips on how to make sure the color you choose is right for your hardwood flooring staining.
First, consider the type of wood you have. Some wood is better for hardwood flooring staining than others. Some you just shouldn’t stain on principal because of the natural beauty. Others have a tight wood grain that would make staining difficult. We suggest avoiding staining the following wood types: mahogany, cherry, walnut, and maple. Oak is one example of a wood that is perfect for staining.
Next, make sure you have a clear picture of what you want. Take your time and really think about the look you hope to achieve in your home. Search through pictures on Pinterest or Houzz to see what others have done with stain colors on flooring. Pay attention to pictures that draw you in and elicit a positive response from you.
After you have a good idea of what you want, sand an area of the floor and apply possible stains to create large sample areas. These are much better than simply taking the small square of wood from the store to make your decision. Leave these sample areas for at least a day and pay attention to how they look at different times of the day. Lighting can dramatically change how colors look so it is vital to see how the stain would appear during the day vs. night.
Don’t forget to take into consideration wall colors, cabinet colors, and fabrics of area rugs or furniture. You’ll need to make sure these won’t clash with your new flooring.
Once you’ve viewed your sample areas for a day or two, you should be ready to decide on a color! Then, give us a call for help with the staining project.