How to Choose Hardwood Floor Colors

Mahogany? Walnut? Chestnut? Wenge? A custom mix of two or more stain colors? Many are the choices for selecting colors to stain your hardwood floors. But with just a few supplies, you can be on your way to finding that perfect floor color.

Things You'll Need

• Oil-based colored floor stains
• Natural bristle brushes
• Clean rags
• Clean glass containers
• Satin and glossy oil-based polyurethane sealers
• One-quarter liquid metal measuring cups

Instructions

1. Carefully sand a portion of your hardwood floor to bare wood using an electric floor sander according to the manufacturer's instructions. The size of the sanded area will depend on how many and how large you wish to make the color samples. Vacuum the sanded area thoroughly. Wipe again with a clean, dry cloth to remove any leftover dust.

2. Line up your cans of oil-based stain colors in a line at the top of your sanded area so you will be able to identify the colors at a glance. Take your paintbrush and lightly dip it into a can of stain. Paint a large sample of the stain onto the bare floor. How large the sample will be is up to you but it should be large enough for you to see how it will react with the wood grain and to get an overall impression of the color. Paint in the same direction in which the grain runs on the floorboards.

3. After you have painted your sample, allow the stain to set. The can of stain should indicate the waiting time recommended by the manufacturer. After that allotted time, take a clean rag and gently wipe in the direction of the wood's grain to remove any excess stain that has not been absorbed by the floor. If you find you are removing too much of the stain, you can reapply the stain and wait a bit longer before wiping off the excess. Continue this procedure with the other colors of stain you wish to sample. Use a new, clean paintbrush for each color to avoid possible cross-color contamination. Allow all the samples to thoroughly dry after you have removed any excess stain.

4. After the stains have thoroughly dried, you should be able to tell which color is the right one for you. Drying time will depend on the level of humidity and heat in your room. If you cannot make a decision, let these sit overnight and view them the next day at various times and with any artificial light that may be used in the room, as light can shift color perception. If you still cannot make a decision it is possible to adjust some of the colors by doing your own custom mixture.

5. Making a custom mixture is a trial-and-error process. If you decide this is something you wish to try, make your mix in a ratio that could be easily replicated in large batches for your entire floor. Fifty percent of one color plus 50 percent of another color is generally a good ratio and should adjust the colors well enough to either warm or cool the straight-from-the-can stains. Fill your one-quarter measuring cup of one color straight from the can and place into a clean glass container. Pour the stain from the can into the measuring cup. Do not dip your measuring cup into the stain's container because this can cause cross-color contamination. Repeat with another color of your choice, pouring the second stain into the clean glass container. Mix thoroughly with a clean paint brush. Make a note of the two colors you used on the glass container so you won't forget what they are should you decide on one of the custom mixes.

6. Paint the custom mixtures onto bare floor area just as you did in the original steps. Wipe down the samples and allow them to dry as appropriate and as outlined in the previous steps.

7. Top coats of oil-based polyurethane sealer can deepen and enrich your sample colors. As oil-based products take longer to dry than water-based ones, adding a maximum of three top coats and allowing them to dry between applications can take a couple of days to thoroughly cure. For a subtle sheen on your floors, apply two coats of satin-finish, oil-based polyurethane and then a final top coat of high-gloss, oil-based polyurethane.

8. When you have decided on the right color, you will need to remove all the samples so that your floor will be a uniform color. To do this, use a floor sander as per the manufacturer's instructions. Wipe the entire floor with a clean, dry mop or cloth. You are now ready to stain your floor.

Tips & Warnings

• Wood species take stain colors differently. Your home improvement center should have a large selection of high-quality stain mixes from which to choose. For sampling purposes, purchase cans of stains in the smallest quantity possible as you can always purchase larger containers once you decide on the right color for you.