How to Stain Dark Wood Floors
- 1). Run an electric sander across the surface of the floor with a sheet of coarse-grit sandpaper. Start on the right side of the room, with the sander at a 45-degree angle and run it slowly across the floor. As you begin to approach the wall at the other side of the room, raise the sander off the floor, move a step over and turn around, sanding in the other direction. Continue in this fashion until you've sanded the entire floor.
- 2). Sand the corners of the room and the floor around the baseboards by running the electric sander at a 45-degree angle along those areas. Assess the floor; very old floors or floors heavily coated with wax will need more than one sanding. Newer floors are often fine with just one pass. You must decide if your floor requires more than one sanding.
- 3). Sweep up the dust from the process of sanding with a broom and dustpan. Pour 1/2 cup of stain onto the white cushion pad that comes with the buffer. Attach the cushion to the buffing machine.
- 4). Start the buffer away from the walls so it doesn't splash them with stain. Work from one end of the room to the other, moving the buffer across the surface area of the floor, making sure to cover it evenly. Stop to refill the buffer cushion with more stain when needed. Once you've finished an entire application of one coat, allow the stain to seep into the dark wood until it is the shade you desire.
- 5). Place a clean white cushion on the bottom of the buffer and pass it across the floor again, soaking up the excess stain. Wait 24 hours and pass the buffer across the floor again with a second coat of stain. Since this is your final coat of stain, make sure it soaks into the wood as long as it needs to soak for you to reach the desired color for your wood floor.
- 6). Place a clean white cushion on the buffer and pass it across the floor a final time to absorb any residue of the wood stain.
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