Getting your wood floors refinished or new ones installed can be an overwhelming task, but it doesn’t have to be! You might feel overwhelmed because everything is new to you and doesn’t make sense. Let us guide you through the technical world of wood floor finishing products, and things will start to feel much simpler!

What's the difference between wood floor stain, sealer, and finish?

This is a very confusing topic at first because many people use the words interchangeably.

Stain: Stain is an optional dye that's applied to the floor after sanding is complete. It penetrates into the wood grain and changes the color of the floor. However, it does not protect the floor from damage. The sealer and the finish coats do that. Stain is applied just one time to the floor. You do not apply multiple coats.

Sealer: Wood floor sealer is the same concept as primer is to paint. It is always the first coat you should apply after the floor is sanded and stained (remember, stain is optional). It locks the color in on the flooring and preps the floor for the finish coats. It’s much cheaper than finish and does not come in different sheens since it should never be the last coat. Standard practice is to do one coat of sealer, although you can do two coats.

Finish: Wood floor finish is the top coat that you put on after the sealer. You should always apply at least two coats of finish on top of the sealer. The finish comes in different sheen levels (matte, satin, semi-gloss, gloss) and protects the floor from damage. It is much more expensive than sealer but extremely necessary.

How many coats should your wood floor get?

Your wood floor should get at least 3 coats on it (1 coat sealer and two coats finish), and this does not include stain. Remember, stain is not a protective coating. Three coats are sufficient to protect most floors, but 4 coats are even better.

How much floor finish do I need to coat my floor?

Let’s go over stain, sealer, and finish.

You will need the following: 

• 1 coat of stain (optional)
• 1 coat of sealer
• 2 coats of finish.

Stain covers 200-250 square feet per quart. Sealer covers 400-500 square feet per gallon.

Finish covers 400-500 square feet per gallon. Remember, you need to do two coats of this.

Here's some example math: Project size: 800 square feet. Stain? Yes, one coat. Sealer: Always one coat. Finish: Always at least two coats.

Stain math: 800/200 = 4 quarts (but get 5 to be safe). Sealer math: 800/400 = 2 gallons (get 3 to be safe). Finish math: 800/400 X 2 = 4 gallons (get 5 to be safe). Remember, we are doing two coats here; that's why we multiplied by two at the end.

Should I order extra floor finish?

We recommend you ALWAYS order one extra of every product you need. If you run out in the middle of a coat, the aftermath can be CATASTROPHIC. You can’t just stop in the middle of a coat and then keep going a few hours or days later. Always order 1 extra!

Applying Floor Stain

What supplies do I need to apply floor stain?

• Painters tape to tape off any trim, etc., that you are working by.
• 1 five-gallon bucket to batch the stain in.
• Gloves to keep your hands clean; the rubber surgical style is preferable. You will go through multiple pairs.
• 75 white rags for every 500 square feet. If the rags are large, you can make do with less. Terry towels work fine.
• A trash bag for you to throw used-up stain rags in as you go.

Steps To Applying Floor Stain

1. Prep: Make sure the floor is vacuumed clean and any trim is taped off with painters tape. 
2. Batching: Mix all cans of stain together into a five-gallon bucket. We call this batching. If you don’t do this, I can almost guarantee you, some areas will come out a different color.
3. Layout: Start at the back of your project and work towards the exit. You will want to work in 3-foot increments moving in the same direction as the boards on the floor.
4. Ragging on: Get a rag sopping wet with stain and wipe the stain on the floor until the area is saturated. Saturate as much floor as you can in 30-60 seconds.
5. Ragging off: Then grab the perfectly clean stain rags and go back over the area you just did. You should wipe off everything that will come off, leaving the floor dry to the touch. You must move quickly, stopping on clean board lines. As you go, the rags you are using to remove the stain from the floor will fill with stain. When they no longer are absorbing stain well, throw them out and get new ones.
6. Don't burn the house down: Make sure all stain rags are out of the house and wet down with water to keep them from spontaneously combusting! They will if you are not careful.
7. Dry and re-coat times: Floor stains vary in drying time depending on what color you do with. Darker colors have more pigments and take longer to dry. They will feel dry to the touch after about 1 hour if applied properly.  Floor stains usually take 12-18 hours to be dry enough to re-coat. 

Applying Floor Finish and Sealer

Applying finish and sealer is virtually identical, so we will include the instructions for both in the same set of steps.

What supplies do you need to apply floor finish and sealer? 

• Sealer and finish.
• A five-gallon bucket for each coat that you're doing.
• A paint roller stick and frame.
• Microfiber rollers, 1 for each coat.
• Cut-in pads or brushes, 1 for each coat.

Steps To Coating A Hardwood Floor

1. Prep: Make sure the floor is completely clean and the stain is dry.
2. Shake: Shake each container for 60 seconds vigorously.
3. Activate (only for two-component finishes): If it's a two-component finish, add the hardener to the finish as directed in the instructions on the side of the bottle and give it time to activate.
4. Batching: Pour your finish into your five-gallon bucket.
5. Layout: Work from the back of your project out.
6. Cutting in: Cut in long walls at least two inches out with your cut-in applicator. Do not get more than 2 minutes ahead of yourself at any point in time.
7. Rolling the finish: Follow behind with the roller, dunking it in the bucket and rolling wall to wall without stopping. Smooth your ends out, always feather the roller in and out when stopping in the middle of the floor.
8. Dry and re-coat times: In ideal conditions (70 degrees and low humidity), your floor will be dry in 2-3 hours and can be recoated as soon as it’s totally dry.

Looking for wood floor stain, finish, or sealer? You are in the right place. We sell all these products and provide simple and easy-to-read descriptions that tell you what you need and how much you need.

View stains, sealers and finishes here: SHOP! 

If you're looking for a professional, we are partnered with Lumberjack Hardwood Floors based in Berrien Springs, Michigan. We provide refinishing, installation, and hardwood sales all across southwestern Michigan and northwestern Indiana. Visit our website here: https://www.lumberjackflooring.company/