Bel Air Hardwood Floors Stains Basics
Posted by zocalo on January 9, 2009
Regardless of whether restoring a hardwood floor or staining one for the first time, the choice of hardwood floor stain will definitely have an effect on the final look. selecting a stain hue between the variety of shades available is a key decision, however it is essential to bear in mind the sorts of stains obtainable in addition to the application methods and uses of each stain.
Hardwood floor stain options include oil based, water based and alcohol based liquid forms. All three are appropriate for use on most every wood floor; however, oil based stains are inclined to be very durable. A plus for water based stains is that they do allow for easier cleanup. Of the possible liquid options in hardwood floor stains alcohol based tints offer the greatest selection of color choices.
Other matters that shape the specific type of stain used are amount of drying time and ease of use. While oil based stains come pre mixed, alcohol and water based stains come in powder form which require mixing. Alcohol based hardwood floor stains are the quickest drying of all liquid stains requiring merely five to ten minutes. Oil based dyes generally take around an hour to dry while water based solutions can require up to 12 hours.
Though liquid stains are the most common and abundantly available array of wood stain, gel wood stains have made their way into the home improvement market in recent years.
Often times a important issue in determining which hue to choose is the condition of the floor it will be used on. Transparent or semi transparent stains should be used to highlight the natural beauty of a wood`s grain. If, however, the wood is of bad class a semi opaque or opaque dye should be employed.
Hardwood floor stain colors come in various raw wood tone varieties. They include mahogany, cherry, fruitwood, rosewood, pine, walnut and a couple different choices of oak and chestnut colors. Stain tints also are available in natural, light, medium, dark as well as ebony. The most popular hardwood floor stain shades are traditional colors like mahogany, walnut, oak and cherry. In addition more modern tints such as natural, light and medium are frequently seen on hardwood floors. When picking a hardwood floor stain color being cognizant of the type of wood is particularly vital as stains soak into each specific type of wood differently. Matching the innate look of the genuine wood in the floor is by in large the most customary result. Lastly, and perhaps the largest goal for staining a hardwood floor is to match a home`s d�cor or furnishings.
It is note worthy to understand that hardwood floor stains do not preserve wood; they solely tint it. Hardwood floors still need a finish to seal the wood for instance a varnish, lacquer, shellac or polish.