Tips to Get That Perfect Finish When Staining Wood Floors

I’ll admit, the thought of staining my freshly sanded wood floors was a incredibly intimidating. After investing so much time into sanding, I was worried about picking the wrong color and making a blotchy mess.

The process seemed daunting – so much that I avoided it all together. I loved the light wood look so much that I decided to skip staining and went straight to applying a finish. Big mistake! My beautiful light wood, ended up looking orange. Curse those red oak floors!

That was mistake number one. Luckily, at this point, I had only sealed two of the four rooms. Slightly disappointed, but at least the main living areas of the home were untouched. So, I came to terms with my fears of staining and realized I would now need to pick a stain and tackle the project after all.

Choosing a stain color is a whole other story—which I cover in this post on picking the best stain color. But here, I’m sharing what I learned about staining hardwood floors so that you, unlike me, can achieve a flawless finish—the FIRST time around!

Just a friendly reminder: This tutorial and any opinions or recommendations are genuinely mine, but this is not a substitute for consulting a professional. I also use affiliate links to earn a commission.

Everything You Need to DIY Refinish Hardwood Floors

When starting, I had no idea how involved this entire process would be. I learned so much and put together several posts to help you save money, avoid the mistakes, and get lasting results you are proud of.

How to Step-byStep: Sanding Wood Floors
Unexpected ways to make sanding wood floors more fun
Disastrous refinishing mistakes and how to avoid them
Tips for Picking Stain Color
Staining Wood Floors for a Flawless Finish
How to protect and finish hardwood floors
Money saving tips when refinishing wood floors yourself

7 Tips for Staining Wood Floors

It’s obviously a good idea to clean your floors before applying stain, but unfortunately, this is where I made mistake number one. I was unaware of an advanced technique called “water popping,” and I unintentionally did this by wiping my floors down with a damp rag.

The water caused the wood to swell, leading to the stain soaking into some areas more than others, with visible swipe marks from the rag and even my handprints in some areas (there are two in the middle pic)!

While cleaning all that sanding dust is obviously essential, using water and jumping straight into staining wasn’t the best approach. The mistake wasn’t visible at first, but over time, patches began to appear.

Initially, I thought it was due to how I applied the stain, but once I learned about water popping, I realized exactly what went wrong. I was seriously bummed that all my hard work from sanding was ruined by something as simple and crucial as prepping the space!

Instead, make sure your floors are completely dry before you start staining. You may recall that I was so disappointed in the results that I sanded these floors again. The next time around, I was so terrified of making the same mistake that I didn’t use any water.

I thoroughly swept, vacuumed, and wiped with a dry rag— but I made sure not to get anywhere near my floors with water! And the results were stunning! Thank you, Jesus—ha!

How Using Rags for Staining Wood Floors Made All the Difference

The upside of having to stain my floors twice was the unique opportunity to experiment with different application techniques. I discovered that using a rag to apply the stain was better than using a special applicator. I used much less stain, had greater precision with the color, and achieved a more even application.

This project actually sparked my obsession with these paint and cleaning rags and now I use them on every project! I simply folded the cloth into a manageable size, dipped it into the stain, squeezed out the excess, and applied it in long, even strokes.

Stay Between the Lines

To avoid uneven patches, I tried to keep the stain within the lines of each board. This means applying the stain in sections that follow the grain of the wood; I did 2-3 boards at a time. See in the pic above how I’m following the straight edge of the board?

This also applied to larger sections—if I couldn’t complete an entire length at once, I would stop wherever that particular board ended. My thought process was that if there was going to be a darker patch or streak, the board’s natural seams would buffer it.

What To Do About Larger Rooms

When dealing with a particularly long space, like my kitchen nook and living room, I started by taping off a smaller section that felt like a natural line between the rooms. I stained the smaller section (the kitchen nook), then removed the tape and stained the living room section. Where the two rooms met, I used a technique called “feathering.”

Working one board at a time, I stained a section on the unstained portion, but also crossed over into the stained section, continuing until I reached the end of that board (see the arrows above, that’s what I mean by the end of the board).

I quickly wiped away the excess stain to prevent this section from looking too much darker than the rest. This approach gradually blended the edges between the rooms, preventing noticeable lines where different sections meet and creating a smooth transition.

Finish What You Start

I was so concerned about achieving an even finish that I did everything I could to set myself up for success. I took the low-hanging fruit and didn’t stop until the room was done. Stopping and starting can lead to uneven color or streaks where the new stain meets the old.

So, I highly recommend planning your project to tackle it all at once. The staining process is actually quite quick—typically just a few hours—so you won’t need to block off your entire weekend.

Why Taping Is the Key to Keeping Stain Where It Belongs

Before you start staining, tape off any areas you don’t want to get stain on, like baseboards, trim, and doorway transitions. Painter’s tape is ideal for this because it creates a crisp line and saves you from a lot of headaches later.

This pic shows what I mean: I taped off this area because the hallway on the left isn’t ready to be stained yet. This way, I can stain up to the tape on the right without worrying about getting stain on the hallway boards.

Trust me, freehanding it doesn’t end well. I learned this the hard way when stain accidentally “crossed the line” and got onto an area I wasn’t working on, leaving me with a dark patch that needed re-staining by hand. Make sure to press the tape down firmly to prevent any stain from seeping underneath.

The Unexpected $2 Purchase That Turned Out to Be a Total Life Saver

Trust me on this one—knee pads are your best friend when staining floors. You’ll be on your knees for extended periods, and knee pads will save you from sore knees and make the job a lot more comfortable. They’re a small investment that makes a big difference!

Funny story: On the morning of this project, I happened to stop by a garage sale on my way to the house, and they had a pair of knee pads for $2. I grabbed them, and I’m seriously thankful I did. I can’t imagine how I would have survived the project without them. What are the odds, right?!

What Else to Know Before Staining Your Floors

Before you dive into your staining project, there are a few other things worth knowing. I’ve got posts that cover some of the nitty-gritty details you might find helpful:

For tips on testing stains to make sure you love the color, check out this post here. It’s packed with all the juicy details you need to get it just right!

When it comes to making sure your floors look amazing and stay that way, I’ve got you covered in this post on an insanely easy way to protect and finish wood floors.

When I started, I had no idea how involved this entire process would be. I learned so much and put together several posts to help you save money, avoid mistakes, and get lasting results you’ll be proud of:

How to sand wood floors
Unexpected ways to make sanding wood floors actually enjoyable!
DIY refinishing hardwood floors mistakes and how to avoid them
Money saving tips when refinishing wood floors yourself

Staining Wood Floors Tools + Supplies

I’ve linked all the project supplies in one spot for you, so you can easily add everything to your cart and dive right in!

As intimidating as this project initially seemed, it turned out to be far easier and more rewarding than I ever imagined—even if it meant doing it twice!

With these tips, you’ll avoid my mistakes and achieve stunning results the first time around. Just remember to prep properly, use the right tools, and apply careful technique. Your beautiful new floors will be worth every bit of effort!

Got any additional tips or tricks from your own staining adventures? Drop them in the comments below!