How To Stain Wood Floors Without The Blotchy Effect

I try to talk my customers out of these experimental colors. I cite the fact that my time is expensive, and results on a sample board may not be as easy or even possible to achieve given the mechanics of controlling a stain on a large floor area. The white stain floors will get shoe scuffed and dirty in just a few years.

I did a custom white stained oak floor for a customer, only to be called back in 4 years to resand the floor, and this time apply a dark walnut pigmented stain to the floor. In this case, the housekeeper (of 20 loyal years) was about to go on strike. She just could not ever wash this lily-white wood floor clean enough to her satisfaction. The very pores of the wood were darkened by dirt. I have also found that white-stained floors tend to show dark unsightly gaps in a few years. These pretty floors just don’t age well.

Oh, and that reminds me, there is certainly an alternative to white staining a floor. Choose a really clear grade of hard maple and ferret out any dark pieces before installation. And instead of white staining it, apply the catalyzed water based finishes I mentioned above. This will give you the white but woody look you may like after all, without the mess and fuss of staining.

And do be careful with the dye stains, they will fade. Imagine what your floors will look like when exposed to too much light in a few years. But what the heck, it’s your floor have fun with it. As long as you have installed a 3/4″ thick strip or plank floor, you have 6-8 resandings in the future. These fussy stains will keep us floor mechanics employed expensively for many years to come. What, me worry?