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Staining wood floors

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stain wood
7K views 22 replies 6 participants last post by  harrymontana 
#1 ·
How long should floor stain take to dry?? We applied a coat Sunday night we did not read any directions, so I sanded again applied small patches so I could wipe off the excess stain today, can says 4-6 hrs been 5 so far and I don't see much drying progress!! Does if completely dry before you apply the clear coat or does it have that sticky feel too it??
 
#2 ·
Was the floor sanded down to bare wood so there was 0 old seal left on the wood?
What type stain and wood is it?
You did not use Gel stain and not wipe it off with a rag did you?
 
#3 ·
joecaption said:
Was the floor sanded down to bare wood so there was 0 old seal left on the wood?
What type stain and wood is it?
You did not use Gel stain and not wipe it off with a rag did you?
As much as I could! It was still sticky and I used a rented sander and it was just gumming up on the paper so I kept changing and changing it! Then we swept it and used some stripper on the bad spots! We used mini wax and the floors the wood is the original wood I'm assuming it was built in 1915.
 
#4 ·
It all needed to go not just most of it. Stain will just float on top of the sealer.
Also a strip should have been used, it can effect the stain.
A common mistake is using the wrong type sander, let me guess you used the one with the round disk instead of one with a belt.
 
#5 ·
joecaption said:
It all needed to go not just most of it. Stain will just float on top of the sealer.
Also a strip should have been used, it can effect the stain.
A common mistake is using the wrong type sander, let me guess you used the one with the round disk instead of one with a belt.
It was a square flat sander, kind of like a mower just back and forth strips. It is starting to dry. Am I just sol now or what?? Also you can see the lines in it I don't know how to get rid of those?? Do I need to start completely over?? I really hope not!!
 
#7 ·
We have a few real flooring guys on here I'm hoping some of them will chime in. There's something very wrong going on there.
Why is there areas that looks like someone was rolling the stain on and just stopped?
 
#8 ·
joecaption said:
We have a few real flooring guys on here I'm hoping some of them will chime in. There's something very wrong going on there.
Why is there areas that looks like someone was rolling the stain on and just stopped?
That's what I was confused about! The can said you apply and 15min later you whipe off the excess stain, so obviously you wouldn't do an entire floor and in 15 min walk on it and while off the excess would you??
 
#9 ·
We have several full time floor guys here---best to wait until one of them looks in---

I suspect you did not sand cleanly down to raw wood---

Also, When staining---it is best to stain an entire section ending with the edge of a board--about 3 feet wide---wait until the stain has soaked into the wood--then rag off the excess--

If the stain did not penetrate into the wood, instead pooling on the surface--if left to dry it will get sticky and stay that way for a long time----

Let's wait----I build a lot of cabinets and understand staining ---but let's see what a hardwood finisher has to say---
 
#11 ·
joecaption said:
I'm no wood floor refinish pro but all the ones I have done I've brushed it on about 6, or 7 rows and go back and wipe it off.
So make strips about 3 feet wide the entire length of the room and wait the 15 min and walk on it and whipe off the excess??? The pic is the dining room and the living room is the room next to it the living room flows into the dining room so I'm afraid it's going to have the lines there too!! It's drying but how do I fix it now??
 
#12 ·
You have to much stain on top of the wood---you need to remove that with mineral spirits--

stain will dissolve and wipe off---then one more thin coat--only wait a couple of minutes and rag off the excess---

working alomg the length of the boards----stain as far as you can reach--about 3 feet---do the entire length of the room--then go right bach and rag off the extra--

move another arms reach and apply--then rag off---
 
#13 ·
oh'mike said:
You have to much stain on top of the wood---you need to remove that with mineral spirits--

stain will dissolve and wipe off---then one more thin coat--only wait a couple of minutes and rag off the excess---

working alomg the length of the boards----stain as far as you can reach--about 3 feet---do the entire length of the room--then go right bach and rag off the extra--

move another arms reach and apply--then rag off---
Ok so how long does the mineral spirits need to sit in the stain?? Why does the can say wait 15 min if you can just go right back and wipe off?? So go along the entire length of the room in 3 foot wide strips?? I go with the grain correct?? This has been a pain in the ass!!!
 
#14 ·
The can says you can wait 15 minutes, but this all depends on how dark you want the finish. If you wipe it right away it'll be lighter than if you left it on for the full 15 minutes. You should also test a spot that is in an inconspicuous area first to see how it will look, how long to leave the stain on before wiping, and whether you need to use a wood conditioner first to avoid a blotchy finish. That usually depends on what type of wood you have. I installed a solid maple floor back in the 80's and wanted a walnut color finish. Unfortunately the maple didn't like the dark color and it was blotchy and looked awful. I ended up stripping it a year later and redoing it in a natural finish and it came out much better.
 
#16 ·
You need to wipe the mineral spirits on and start rubbing with a rag ---

You will not get a great color no matter what you do because the floor is not sanded clean through to the wood----so go for the most even color you can achieve or rent a drum sander and resand the entire floor----

Have to considered calling in a floor sanding company?
 
#17 ·
oh'mike said:
You need to wipe the mineral spirits on and start rubbing with a rag ---

You will not get a great color no matter what you do because the floor is not sanded clean through to the wood----so go for the most even color you can achieve or rent a drum sander and resand the entire floor----

Have to considered calling in a floor sanding company?
Yeah but with money tight and just really wanting to do it ourselves we haven't given it much more thought! I guess if need be I can see what a drum sander is gonna run me and just start over!! What is the process of sanding?? I have heard several different ways but last time I just used a 20 grit to begin and to smooth I used 100 grit and that got me down where I needed to be!!
 
#18 ·
I am not a floor finisher----I hire that work out---so I am not qualified to answer that----

You will need an edger and a drum sander---and a buffer---
do a search for hardwood floor sanding----I really can't guide you well on this---
 
#21 ·
Like I mentioned, I've sanded a few floors in my time. After screwing up the finish on one, I've learned that it can be done properly by a DIY minded person but you have to know what you're doing before you start. I wouldn't do it ever again though. Sanding a floor is physically demanding and leads to your whole body being sore from the physical exertion. A professional floor finisher can come in with a crew and knock it off in a short time and give you a beautiful floor for years to come with none of the headaches you're currently experiencing. I would at least call a pro and have them come out and give you an estimate.
 
#22 ·
Dave Sal said:
Like I mentioned, I've sanded a few floors in my time. After screwing up the finish on one, I've learned that it can be done properly by a DIY minded person but you have to know what you're doing before you start. I wouldn't do it ever again though. Sanding a floor is physically demanding and leads to your whole body being sore from the physical exertion. A professional floor finisher can come in with a crew and knock it off in a short time and give you a beautiful floor for years to come with none of the headaches you're currently experiencing. I would at least call a pro and have them come out and give you an estimate.
That's the problem I live in a small town so I know driving time would come into play, I am not worried about the physical part I'm 29 and active lol! But I want to learn it and do it myself so I can personally know how and be that much more appreciative when I'm done.
 
#23 ·
the picture definitely doesn't look good. The trick is not to stay relaxed and think about solving your problem 'after' with the access stain solution.

first you need to get rid of all the dirt on your original floor. This can be done by chemicals or sanding the entire floor. Then you need to open up the pores of the wood so that the stain you will apply is able to be absorped. Here is a webpage that is all about this process of cleaning and staining your wood flooring, the page itself is about decking, but the same is true for flooring.
 
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