Wooden flooring has been the norm for many centuries. The same can be said about wooden furniture.  These days, however, the former of the two is usually more of a luxury for a lot of people. Still, the alternatives are not so bad when it comes to flooring choices. Vinyl flooring and Faux-wood, also known as laminate, are the two flooring types that have substituted for hardwood rather nicely.

The problem with laminate especially is that many a time, despite being called faux-wood, it doesn’t give off that classic hardwood look. It makes sense though, because laminate can’t and is not supposed to do that. However, what you can do is use wood stains to transform the looks of your laminate flooring. What are wood stains? Let’s find out.

What are Wood Stains?

When you try to change the colour of your flooring or your furniture, you have a few choices. More commonly though, you can either choose to paint your wood or go with wood stains. They are both used to change the colour and appearance of furniture and flooring. However, the difference between the two is that paint can only be applied to the outermost layer of any surface. Wood stains, or gel stains, on the other hand, work in tandem with a finishing agent or solvent.

It’s important to note that wood stains are not a new thing. They have been in the culture and our day to day lives for decades. These old articles from New York Times provide very balanced and interesting points on the use of wood stains. You can see that they have been in use for a while now.

In their final form, wood stains applied to an object would completely dissolve in the surface and grains of the wood. That way the texture and appearance of wood or laminate would not be compromised in any way. It is important to remember that to optimise the performance of stains, you should use them after applying the sealers. Sealers ensure that the application of stains is even throughout the area of the surface being worked.

How To Add Wood Stains To Laminate floors?

The whole process of adding wood stains to any laminate floor primarily consists of three main steps. You do need to take some precautions in between these phases too, though, which we will mention. The three steps are as follows:

Cleaning

Make sure your floor is the cleanest it can be before you think about staining. Most importantly, get rid of any grease or oil that may be present. Until your floor is perfectly clean, you have to keep persisting with the washing, scrubbing and drying in order to start the process of staining. It is advised to wait a full day after cleaning before you apply the stain.

Staining

Now comes the process of staining. Here, you would want to protect your walls by masking and taping the lower ends so that stains don’t ruin your paint or your wallpaper. Then, when you take up the brush in your hand, it makes the most sense to start from the furthest corner of the room. This way, you won’t trap yourself. Make sure that you stain the floor uniformly and there are no uneven spots left. Afterwards, wait for the stains to dry before starting the next step.

Finishing

Sanding the floor is important before you apply the finish if only to ensure that the finish is solidly applied. After you are done sanding, begin the process of applying the finish. Then, let it dry for the time period instructed by the manufacturer.

Once you complete all these steps, you will have successfully coloured your laminate floor using gel stains/wood stains. You can always call on the professionals if you think you have messed up at some stage or if you are not completely satisfied with your work. But if you follow these instructions and do your research, you will have no reason to worry.

You can now get a free quote on our laminate flooring installation and maintenance services. Visit PrestigeFlooring-UK.com or call us at +44 (0)1695 578 555 today!