Staining Laminate Wood Flooring

Staining laminate wood flooring is a job you can do yourself with easy to follow step by step instructions. Staining is a rewarding job, watching the transformation from raw laminate wood to a deep, rich, color that gives definition and life to your floor. You must have an entire day to dedicate to your floor because once you start staining, you must complete it without stopping. Here is how to approach staining a laminated wood floor.


What You Will Need

    Stain
    Masking paper
    Masking tape
    Box of rags
    1 gallon paint thinner (mineral spirits)
    3 inch china bristle brush
    Degreaser (such as quality dish washing liquid)
    Floor scrubber with long handle
    Floor mop
 
Step 1-Clean Your Laminate Flooring

The most important aspect in preparing your floor for staining is to make sure your floor doesn't have oily substances on it. To clean your floor, mix degreaser in a bucket of hot water and use your scrub brush to apply, working back and forth to get it nice and clean. When you have finished a 4' X 4' area, use your floor mop with clean, hot water to rinse thoroughly. Do not leave excess water pools. If you have pools of water, use some of your rags and wipe the excess up. Repeat this process until your entire floor is clean. Allow it to dry 24 to 48 hours before applying stain. During this drying period, you may mask your baseboards off.

Step 2-Mask Off and Protect

Run a strip of masking tape along the bottom of your baseboard where it meets your flooring all the way around the perimeter of your room Try not to completely stick the top edge of your tape down. Now, you will run a single strip of masking paper around your room. Just slide your masking paper behind your tape and then press it down firmly. This is why you want to keep the top edge of your tape loose. Now, use a small piece of tape and tag it up to the wall so it doesn't fall. Do your best to go sparingly when sticking tape to your wall as to not damage your wall paint.

Step 3-Apply Stain

To apply your stain, begin in the farthest corner and work your way to the exit. Work in 4 X 4 sections. Shake your can of stain well and open it. Apply it with your china bristle paint brush beginning along the edge, first making sure you apply going with the grain pattern of the wood. Then, using a rag, wipe any excess stain off until color looks uniform. Continue working in sections until your entire floor is stained. Allow your floor to dry the amount of time according to manufacturers label instructions. 

The next step will be to sand your floor to prepare to apply a finish.
Staining laminate flooring seems like a such a big task to tackle, but anyone can do it. It doesn't require special skills to be able to do it. Just a few short and easy steps is all it takes to know how to stain a laminate floor yourself.