Mistakes Everyone Makes When Staining Hardwood Floors

Imagine this: You're sitting around your home just relaxing, eyes scanning the room, and you realize that your hardwood floors look faded, scuffed, and are in need of some serious love. This shouldn't require tearing out your hardwood, unless it's in a place HGTV's Mike Homes says hardwood flooring should never be installed. Staining your hardwood floors is a great way to update them by bringing out the natural characteristics of the wood, while also providing an extra layer of protection from spills and wear and tear. Financially speaking, a 2022 study by the National Association of Realtors found the average estimate of refinishing hardwood floors was around $3,400, and the value added return on investment was 147% or the equivalent of $5,000. Perhaps most importantly is that 100% of people surveyed after refinishing their floors expressed a greater desire to be at home.

Whether you're staining your floor with an oil or water-based polyurethane coating, light, medium or dark wood stain, or a custom specialty stain, there are a few big mistakes everyone makes when staining hardwood floors. Not prepping your floors before staining can lead to an unsatisfactory outcome. Using the wrong equipment for the job, like power tools, can damage the wood. Even using the wrong stain color is an avoidable mistake. 

You plan to fail when you fail to plan, and that starts with failing to have all the materials and tools to do the job correctly. Equipment wise, you'll need a drop cloth, paintbrushes, a mouse or belt sander, pre-stain wood conditioner, and sandpaper. Two excellent brush picks include the Wooster Bravo Stainer brush or the Pro Grade 5-Piece Flat and Angle Brush Set — use narrow brushes for small projects and wide brushes for bigger projects.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, the spontaneous combustion of oily rags — that includes those used for stains and varnishes — causes an average 1,700 house fires every year. This occurs when heat released by the oily rags builds up as the rags dry, leading to a spontaneous combustion. Have an oil rag safety can in a cool place to dispose of your rags. For brushes, here's the best method for cleaning a paint brush with wood stain on it. 

Not having the right stain color is a mistake you can avoid by taking a piece of the wood you plan to use to the store to compare with color samples. Aside from being aesthetically disappointing, the wrong stain for a particular hardwood can actually degrade or ruin the color of your floors. Feel free to use our picks for the best floor stain colors of 2025 to help you make your decision.

You've got all the equipment, but not so fast. Forgetting to prep your floors is one of the worst mistakes you can make. Before your brush touches your hardwood floors, reach for the sand paper. Give your floors a good sanding in order to get rid of imperfections like scratches, while opening the wood's pores, making it better able to absorb the stain. Be sure to use the right sandpaper for the job with the understanding that you'll need a sandpaper with enough grit to get rid of imperfections while also getting deep enough into the grain so that the stain you're using penetrates the hardwood. To remove scratches and or small issues, use anything from an 80 to 120 grit sandpaper. 

After sanding your floors, it would be an unfortunate last minute mistake to not add wood conditioner. This product helps your hardwood soak up the oil in your stain so that the end result is a smooth, even floor devoid of oil spots or uneven streaks. Now, you're finally ready to get down to the work of actually staining your floors. If you're taking on this home improvement project all on your own, here are some helpful tips a savvy DIYer will want to know before using wood stain.