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Hardwood
Floors - Choosing Stains and Finishes
CHOOSING STAINS AND
FINISHES
I really love dark stains—I have mahogany on my own
floors— but you can pick what’s in fashion or follow your
personal preference or how the color matches the rest of
your house.
The same goes for varnishes; it depends what you’re going
for. For example, if you have an old cabin, you’re not
going to want a high-gloss finish. You’re going to want a
matt finish or semigloss.
I always check with my local hardware store and ask
someone who knows their stuff about stains and varnishes
because new ones are coming out all the time. A knowledge
able salesperson will also be able to advise you on the
best finishes for various climates.
Not that advice is always foolproof. The first time I did
my hardwood floors, I asked the guy in the store what kind
of finish I should buy—choosing between semigloss and high
gloss. He told me that high gloss would look like I was
walking into a high school basketball court—too shiny. So
I got semigloss—and it barely shined! After putting in so
much work on a floor, I wanted it to shine. Its personal
preference, of course, but I went back three months later
and got the high gloss, and it did not look like a
basketball court ably because I had old wood floors. They
were shiny but it just looked like they were clean.
Again, take advice, but at the end of the day, always
trust what you like. And sometimes, you just have to
experiment.
When shopping for stains and varnishes, I usually use the
big hardware stores because of the selection they have;
sometimes the smaller stores will only have two different
types of varnish. The bigger stores will have ten or
twelve different kinds, with a wider price range to fit
your budget.
If you’re really on a tight budget, you may want to get
the cheapest varnish, instead of the best, most expensive
varnish. This might apply if you’re doing a “flipper,” and
getting rid of the property; you may just want the
quickest fix, the one that is going to cost you the least
amount of money. If this is for your own house, and you
don’t want to revarnish or change the look often, then get
the very best quality stains and varnishes because you’ll
save money in the long run. If it’s an investment property
or a rental, then you’ll probably be looking at the
cheaper options.
TIPS:
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The easiest way to apply stain is to
put it on rags and rub it on the floor. You can also mop
it on.
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Varnish is generally easier to mop
on. Some companies have their own mops specific to
particular products.
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It’s common sense, but starts in the
farthest corner and work your way out of the room. You
have to let it dry, typically for forty-eight hours before
you put furniture back, though usually you can walk on it
after twenty-four hours.
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Put felt pads on the bottom of your
furniture. That way, when you want to move it or adjust it
later, you won’t ruin or scratch your beautiful hardwood
floors.
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