How to Stain Hardwood Floors

Use this 3-step guide for the best results

Need wood staining advice for your home improvement project? It’s easy to beautify your home and protect your wood by staining your hardwood floors with an interior wood stain or a polyurethane wood finish. Follow these step-by-step instructions to do the job right the first time.

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How to Stain Hardwood Floors

Step 1: Choose the Right Stain

Olympic interior stain colors range from a clear sealant to a wide variety of colored stains.

For clear wood protection, we provide 3 choices — Polyurethane, Ultra-Clear Polyurethane and SPAR Urethane.

While brown is the most popular, you may want to add a bit of color to give your space more visual variety or match your décor.

Choose from Oil-based and Water-based colored stains. Durability, color, drying time, odor and clean-up vary, depending on the one you choose.

Read product information to decide which one is right for your hardwood floors.

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How to Stain Hardwood Floors

Step 2: Prep Your Surface

Examine the hardwood floor for defects:

Fill holes and cracks with a stainable wood filler.
Sand all surfaces in the direction of the wood grain.**
- For basic prep use 80 grit-100 grit sandpaper.
- For scratches, dents, or rough edges use 100 grit-120 grit sandpaper.
- For any leftover scratches or loose wood fibers use 220 grit sandpaper.

Vacuum to remove dust.

Apply painter’s tape along the baseboards to protect woodwork from the stain.

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**WARNING! If you scrape, sand, or remove old paint, you may release lead dust or fumes. LEAD IS TOXIC. EXPOSURE TO LEAD DUST OR FUMES CAN CAUSE SERIOUS ILLNESS, SUCH AS BRAIN DAMAGE, ESPECIALLY IN CHILDREN. PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD ALSO AVOID EXPOSURE. Wear a properly fitted NIOSH-approved respirator and prevent skin contact to control lead exposure. Clean up carefully with a HEPA vacuum and a wet mop. Before you start, find out how to protect yourself and your family by contacting the USEPA National Lead Information Hotline at 1-800-424-LEAD or log on to www.epa.gov/lead.

How to Stain Hardwood Floors

Step 3: Stain Your Floor

Before staining, test in an inconspicuous spot and let it dry, to ensure you get the wood stain color you expected.

Cut in from the edges of the wall and doorways with a small brush, then use a long-handled staining sponge for open spaces.
Apply stain by rubbing or brushing in the direction of the wood grain.
Allow the stain to absorb into the wood per the product’s instructions.
Remove any unabsorbed stain with a dry cloth.
Always wipe in the direction of the wood grain!

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Please refer to the product label, Technical Data Sheet (TDS) and Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for detailed safety and application instructions.

How to Stain Hardwood Floors

Additional Tips to Protect Your Surface

Do not dip into the can, so as to avoid contaminating the wood surface with dust.
Tap the brush against the container; wiping will leave the brush too dry.
Always apply stain in the direction of the grain.
Apply quick and thin coats.
Too much brushing or wiping could cause problems when dry.
Sand between coats using a 220 grit sandpaper to ensure good adhesion and smooth away imperfections.
Wipe away the dust using a damp cloth.