Dark brown and even black stains are very popular these days. Two finishes are especially sought-after: Dark Walnut and Jacobean by Minwax. An upcoming trend may be grey and “weathered” colors.
These deep colors require a lot of extra prep work to the wood before staining, for two reasons: Dark stains will highlight the difference in sanding patterns created by the different machines we use, and therefore require an extra smooth surface. However, because of this smoothness, the grain of floors must be opened by a process called “water-pop”, or by using a wood conditioner.
Without the right preparation dark stain may not absorb into the wood at equal rates, causing non-uniform colors throughout the floor.
I know that a LOT of my customers these days are looking to have their floors refinished primarily to have the color darkened, so now you know that I specialize in this. I’d be glad to show you some stained wood samples and provide an estimate for your floor.
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