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Staining help

2K views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  Henry6 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I have no finishing experience except what I'm working on right now. So as to staining wood. Does/should the wood get darker with more coats? Using Minwax to match a piece of flooring to existing hardwood flooring. Took sample pieces to the store and got a couple of small cans that matched the closest but when I stained my sample piece none of the stains really come close to matching. The wood is white oak, sanded and scraped.

So far I've used Dark Walnut, Ebony(accent pieces around the door), and Ipswitch Pine. My hardwood floor was titled Gunstock in Ash wood. Thinking of mixing the Dark Walnut and Ipswitch Pine together and trying that next.

And do I need to sand between stain coats? I'll try to post pictures of my test piece when I get back home.
 
#4 ·
I agree with Clint that the Zar brand is better than Minwax. Gunstock is one of the harder colors to match. I recommend taking a sample of the existing flooring to Sherwin Williams or another paint store that will mix stains for you. Make sure you take a sample of the existing flooring and a raw piece of wood that they can use to match the stain to. We have only one Sherwin Williams store in Las Vegas that will do that. I do not recommend putting 2 coats of stain down on flooring. The more stain that is applied, the greater the chance to have adhesion problems with the finish.
 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
Well, if you are trying to match stained ash, first and foremost start with ash.
Avoid Minwax stains - they are thin bodied stains high in dye content, and low in suspended solids. Choose a Rodda or Cabot oil based stain. Varathane brand is pretty good too.

Try to pick a color that hits the mark in one coat. Mix compatible stains to vary the color, and make a bunch of test boards. I have also had good luck tweaking stain colors with universal colorants like raw umber, and burnt umber available at any paint store. Sand the test boards just as you will the actual project, then stain. Let the test boards dry overnight, and then topcoat them with your intended finish. A finish looks different once the topcoat goes on.

Good luck.
 
#7 ·
Seeing as you are mixing stains, why not throw my favorite new brand into the conversation? Has anyone else used Storm System exterior products? It was recommended by a buddy because the products are differentiated by weather and traffic conditions, which I needed. I know they have color stains as well. Hope this helps and best of luck.
 
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