
How to remove a dark stain from Maple?
- 2 Apply the Wood Stain Remover. Pour the stain remover into a glass or metal container and apply according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- 3 Scrape the Stain Remover Residue. The layer of stain remover tends to swell or bubble up when ready for removal. ...
- 5 Cleanup. Wipe the wood surface with a cloth and mineral spirits until clean. ...
Do dark hardwood floors make a room feel smaller?
People often think that dark floors will make a room feel smaller, but this is not necessarily true. Dark floors will only make a room feel smaller if there is insufficient lighting either from windows or overhead lighting sources or the walls are painted a darker color in combination with the dark floors. The opposite is also false.
How to stain floors darker?
Steps to follow
- Prepare a dark coffee Brew a whole pot of coffee, make it as strong as possible to create a dark wood stain. ...
- Sand your wood Use 120-grit sandpaper to sand the entire surface of your wood while the coffee cools down. ...
- Stain your wood
Can a maple floor be stained?
Staining of hardwood maple floors is risky because the wood is varying in density, & structure variations at the cellular level. it has uneven hard spots along with softer spots. The floor may take up the stain, but areas of it will not, resulting in a blotchy or uneven appearance.

Can I stain my maple floors dark?
Simply put maple is not a hardwood flooring wood that should be stained. You can read what the Wood Flooring Association has to say about maple flooring here.. Staining maple is generally not recommended by finish manufacturers since the dense grain does not allow the penetration of most pigments.
Can you change the color of maple hardwood floors?
The answer is usually YES! Many homeowners don't realize that you can change the color of hardwood flooring when you refinish your floors. Yes, it's true…you can go light or dark or red tones or anywhere in between. Most are pleasantly surprised it doesn't matter if you are going light to dark or vice versa.
Can you Restain maple hardwood floors?
It's near impossible to stain a maple floor. Flooring professionals will always recommend refinishing natural without applying stain colors. Maple just will not absorb stain colors like oak. Trust us, we've tried it – the entire floor looks splotchy and inconsistent.
What is the best finish for maple hardwood floors?
Water-Based PolyurethaneProvides a clear finish with low odor.If you love the natural look of maple, apply a water-based (waterborne) polyurethane. ... Water-based finishes dry fast — most within two hours — so you can apply several coats in a day. ... Cleans up with water too.
How do you make maple wood less yellow?
An acrylic is not only colorless, but it also has a natural screening effect for blocking UV light, which yellows maple. A water-based acrylic is easy to apply and remains clear over time, but it brings little depth to the grain A solvent-based acrylic pops the figure but needs to be sprayed.
Can maple floors be refinished?
If your maple hardwood floor's finish looks scratched, scuffed and dingy, you can restore its color and luster with a new finish. You can prepare the floor for refinishing by using a liquid floor refinisher, which is a type of chemical finish stripper designed to remove hardwood floor finishes.
Can maple be stained GREY?
0:562:16Driftwood #Gray on HARD #MAPLE in minutes with Weatherwood stains ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou can see that it's a reactive stain. And so the wood is actually going to react to the stain.MoreYou can see that it's a reactive stain. And so the wood is actually going to react to the stain.
Can you stain maple hardwood floors GREY?
As background, it's easy to get the gray color in pre-finished maple or birch floors. Because these woods are closed pored, they absorb the stains differently and some of the darker brown stains turn gray on maple and birch (see picture to the right).
Can you stain maple floors gray?
0:044:47What Does Gray Stain Look Like on a Maple Hardwood Floor ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWe did a custom gray stain mix on her maple floors they were pre finished floors. They were hadMoreWe did a custom gray stain mix on her maple floors they were pre finished floors. They were had chamfered edges on them I don't like the look of the prefinished floors.
Is maple a good hardwood floor?
Both Oak and Maple floors are considered among the most durable wood floors and can last for generations. Maple is among the harder wood species, with a 1450 rating on the Janka wood hardness chart. As one of the densest wood species, Maple is ideal for high-traffic areas.
Is maple flooring in style?
With its delicate grain and creamy-blonde tones, maple has always been a strong favorite for home flooring in the USA, and is becoming an even more popular option in recent years with a swing towards Scandinavian and Mid-Century Modern inspired interior design – both styles that look to optimize natural light paired ...
Are maple floors popular?
With its combination of strength and beauty, maple has become one of the most popular hardwood flooring options in the United States.
Can you whitewash maple floors?
Most whitewashed floors work best with American/Canadian hardwoods such as oak (especially white oak), maple and birch. Occasionally, you'll find some with ash or hickory.
How much does it cost to change the color of hardwood floors?
According to HomeAdvisor and Angi the typical price range to refinish hardwood floors is between $600 and $4,000, with the national average at $1,800. This comes out to $3 to $8 per square foot, including materials and labor. Roughly 80 percent of the cost to refinish hardwood floors comes from labor.
Can you stain maple floors gray?
0:044:47What Does Gray Stain Look Like on a Maple Hardwood Floor ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWe did a custom gray stain mix on her maple floors they were pre finished floors. They were hadMoreWe did a custom gray stain mix on her maple floors they were pre finished floors. They were had chamfered edges on them I don't like the look of the prefinished floors.
Can you stain maple hardwood floors GREY?
As background, it's easy to get the gray color in pre-finished maple or birch floors. Because these woods are closed pored, they absorb the stains differently and some of the darker brown stains turn gray on maple and birch (see picture to the right).
Why does maple stain accept more?
The reason some stain accepts more in certain areas is because the wood has a more open grain there. Below you can see some pictures of sample pieces of maple that were stained.
Why is maple stain so blotchy?
The reason some stain accepts more in certain areas is because the wood has a more open grain there.
What is maple wood?
Maple is a closed grain wood, this means the wood does not like accepting anything into its pores – which includes stain. To get the wood to accept stain there is a popular method of water popping the grain.Water popping is the method of actually putting water evenly on the floor to raise the grain.
Can you stain maple in Boise?
Sure, companies in Boise will stain maple and the outcome will be unsatisfactory to our standards. Simply put maple is not a hardwood flooring wood that should be stained. You can read what the Wood Flooring Association has to say about maple flooring here.. Staining maple is generally not recommended by finish manufacturers since ...
Why do we use maple?
And really the only reason to use maple is for its mapley looks. Functionally, it's a very unstable substance, prone to cupping at the mere whisper of the word "moisture".
Can you dye maple floors?
We recently had our maple floors (from the 40s) refinished. If your maple floor is old, it takes the stain better and would be less blotchy than new maple floor would. Since we wanted to go really dark, we actually had it water popped, then dyed, then stained. I also think applying an oil-based poly would bring out the warmer tone in the wood (regardless of how dark you want to go) but watch out for the VOC. Using a dye would pretty much get your floor to any color you want, but would definitely add to the costs.
How to stain maple wood?
Preparing the maple for stain is easy, finish sand down to 400 grit going with the grain of the wood as you sand. Wet the wood with water before staining and let dry, this opens the grain to accept the stain evenly, then sand out with 320 grit going with the grain. Apply your next color.
What stain to use for deepest color?
And use a gel stain to get the deepest, richest color.
How much lacquer thinner should I use?
Here’s a mix I would frequently use. 90% lacquer thinner, 10% lacquer, plus your color. Add however much it takes to get the color you want. I find that little bit of lacquer helps lock down the color. And keep in mind you can add many coats to arrive at the color you desire. And if thats not strong enough, start using a little pigment in the mix.
Can you stain maple wood with shellac?
For those of you who don’t know, maple is a tricky wood to stain. It tend to absorb stain unevenly which leads to a blotchy look. By pre-sealing the wood with shellac, you can even out the color absorption. This is exactly what Darin was trying to do.
Can you sand a zebra out of curly maple?
For example, if you take a highly figured piece of curly maple and stain it black with the appropriate dye(note: alcohol, water based, stains and leather dyes, yes, leather dyes) then evenly sand it out, it will take on the appearance of a zebra.
Can you use a chemical stripper to stain wood?
You also might consider using a chemical stripper just to make sure you get all that finish off the surface. Any finish left in the wood will inhibit absorption of stain, which might very well be what your already seeing when you try to stain.
Can you use Timbermate wood filler on a dent?
All that said, if you really want to do the filler route, I would recommend checking out Timbermate Wood Filler. Their colors are fantastic and they take stain in a very natural way. I would fill the dent first, sand flush, then hit the surface with your conditioner followed by the stain. Hopefully the filler will get you close to the natural background color. Then you can take colored pencils and draw in the missing grain lines. This actually works quite well if you can get the filler to match the background.
Why select Carlisle for your dark Maple floors?
Over the past 50 years, Carlisle has built a reputation for delivering stunning wide plank hardwood floors. Our custom process enables us to fashion exceptional dark Maple floors as well as surfaces from many other pine and hardwood species. Our New England craftsman have a combined experience of more than 200 years in evaluating timbers, inspecting grain patterns and handcrafting wide planks to make sure your floor meets your specifications. With expert assistance and friendly guidance available at every turn, we make the process of creating one-of-a-kind dark Maple floors fun and exciting.
What is wide plank maple flooring?
Wide plank Maple flooring is made with floorboards that are cut at much wider widths than standard commercial flooring. While the average commercial floor uses floorboards that are no more than 2¼”
How wide is a plank floor?
to 3″, wide plank floors may have floorboards with widths up to 20″. With more room on each board, the personality of the wood is allowed to shine, and the details of the grain pattern are fully revealed. Wide plank floors also create a more spacious and harmonious feel in the room, as there are far fewer seams between floorboards, creating a less busy look.
What is unfinished wood flooring?
Unfinished wood flooring is meant to be finished on site after the floor is installed. Prefinished floors are finished before they’re delivered for installation. With unfinished hardwood flooring, you’ll have to put up with a fair amount of mess as the floors are sanded and stained, and you’ll need to leave the premise for a day or two when the floors are covered with polyurethane sealants. With prefinished flooring on the other hand, all the finish work is done before the floors are installed, saving time and cost on installation and making life a lot easier.
What is the Janka rating for maple?
With a Janka hardness rating of 1450, Maple is one of the harder hardwood species, making dark hardwood floors more resistant to dents and dings.
What is texturing a floor?
Texturing a floor gives it an appearance of age and wear that normally is the result of generations of use. At Carlisle, we offer a number of techniques for texturing or distressing dark Maple floors, including adding hand scraped edges and saw marks, and using proprietary methods that reproduce the look of wood that has been aged by time, weather and foot traffic.
How many pages are there in the guide to wood floors?
Looking for a new wood floors? This 20-page guide can help you explore flooring styles and options as you narrow down your favorite floors.
What will the color of a hardwood floor depend on?
The color will depend on the camera, the lighting, time of day, if the picture was photo shopped or not and a bunch of other factors. The best thing to do is have your professional hardwood floor refinisher come over with real samples that are a sufficient size to allow you to make a good decision.
What does dark stained floors do?
Dark stained floors will help anchor a room and give you the freedom to put light, bright colors on the walls – or even just white – that will add brightness to the room. We love this look and so do most designers we work with. It’s a very glamorous, classic look that will go with a lot of different furniture styles.
What is the difference between old wood and new wood?
1) The grain and cut of the old wood vs the new wood. If the old wood is plain sawn and the new wood quarter sawn, there will be a difference. 2) Possibly the darker floor was water popped and the lighter floor wasn’t. 3) As you mentioned, the color of the stain was different as it’s a different brand.
Why do lighter floors make dark rooms look bigger?
It’s pretty obvious that lighter floors will brighten up small dark rooms and make them look bigger because they reflect light.
Why do dark stained floors show scratches?
It’s because of cheap, poor quality finishes that dark stained floors have this reputation of showing scratches easily.
Why do dark colored cars look dirtier?
It’s just like how dark colored cars look dirtier quicker than beige cars… not that they are dirtier, but they look dirtier faster because you can see every light colored speck on them easier with the dark background. Hardwood floors are the same.
Can you stain red oak in Chicago?
If you have red or white oak (which makes up the majority of Naperville and Chicago area homes) then there is no problem at all. Oak takes a stain very well and we can stain from a light color all the way up to dark colors, as you can see us using in the photo below…
How to remove dark stain from wood?
When you are sure that all dark stains are removed, use an 80 grit pad with both the drum and palm sander. Finalize with 100 grit pad for a perfectly smooth surface.
What is the lightest color to use on wood?
In most cases, the lightest color you can go is the natural color of the wood. If you want to go beyond that, the only choice is to bleach or use a whitewash stain. Homeowners with oak are likely to use this option since this type of wood is naturally dark.
How to get wood grain back to bare wood?
Work with the wood grain as you move from one end of the surface to the other to get back to the bare wood. There are areas such as corners where the drum sander may not reach. You will need to use a palm sander with the 60 grit pad to work on them with this fine sandpaper.
How to sand wood for bleaching?
Ensure the nature of your wood is appropriate for sanding. Clear the room of everything, including furniture and rugs. This will give you a suitable safe working space. Remove any curtains and open the windows to allow enough light and air into the room to help you complete the bleaching process.
What is the importance of a floor in a home?
A floor is an often overlooked aspect of a home’s decor, but it can dramatically impact the mood, look, and simple vibe of a room or house. If you’re thinking of making dark stained wood lighter – you’ve come to the right place!
Can you bleach wood to make it lighter?
In most cases, the lightest color you can go is the natural color of the wood. If you want to go beyond that, the only choice is to chlorine bleach, wood bleach, or use a whitewash stain. Homeowners with oak are likely to use this option since this type of wood is naturally dark. With some knowledge on how to make dark stained wood lighter, it is something you can do yourself. You can even stencil a design and bleach only that portion of the floor, if you wish.
Can you lighten stained wood floors?
So, if you’ve got wooden floors and want to change their appearance and you want to know how to lighten wood stain, fear not. Dark, stained wooden floors can be lightened to give your home an exciting new look rather than having a darker color within your home.
