Begin staining with a clear coat

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/11/2003 (8271 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

IF you’ve ever tried staining wood and wound up with a blotchy finish, you have experienced understandable frustration. Blotches result from the various densities on the surface of the wood that’s being stained. Here’s a trick you’ll appreciate. To get a more-even appearance when using oil stain, begin with a natural or clear coat. The clear finish will fill the softer, more porous areas of the surface. These areas of the wood will now accept stain more in keeping with the harder areas of the surface. And, you don’t have to wait for the first coat to dry; once the clear coat has been spread, you can apply the stain coats. But remember that this technique applies only to oil staining.

Float a new floor

What makes floating hardwood floors different from traditional hardwood flooring is that such floors aren’t glued and-or nailed to the wood subfloor or concrete slab. Hardwood flooring always has been a problem to install over concrete slabs due to attachment difficulties and moisture. The floating floor eliminates all that. Instead of being glued to the subfloor or slab, the various planks are edge-glued to one another. The planks rest on a one-eighth-inch layer of foam that is placed upon a vapour barrier — one layer of six-mil plastic sheeting. The vapour barrier protects the floor from moisture damage, and foam insulates the floor reducing condensation and producing a much more giving surface. Remember, wood and water don’t mix. For a beautiful, long-lasting finish, use only finishing and cleaning products recommended by the manufacturer.

–Associated Press