Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Staining an old fir floor

I would like to add some color to an old fir floor I am refinishing. I understand that soft woods do not stain well. However, I have recently spoken to an architect who claims that mixing a modest amount of stain with a sealer will add color evenly. He suggests a ratio of 20% stain and 80% sealer. He claims that this mixture will not blotch up. Can anyone confirm?

Because the wood is soft and the area has been abused over the years, some deep scratches will not sand out. Is wood putty a good idea? Will the putty stand out after refinishing?

Architects are Architects, Cabinetmakers are Cabinetmakers, Plumbers are Plumbers.

Thus stands to reason that Architects are not Cabinetmakers and Plumbers are not Architects.

You can use a pre-conditioner by Minwax to help with the evenness of the color. One of the main ways to get color consistancy is to use aniline dyes which is a sprayed on process.

In regard to scratches, if the floor is raw with no finish on it, you can take a t-shirt type rag, wet it, wring it out a bit, place it on the floor "flat" over the damaged area, take a hot iron over the t-shirt rag and iron it. Yes, it will steam. Only leave the iron on for a few seconds, moving the iron back and forth. This will help surface the scratches and minor gouges that have been dented in.

Re wet rag as necessary.

Sawdustguy,

Thanks for your reply.

Must you spray dye to get eveness of application? (Spraying dye, I think, is beyond my capability.)

If not:

Is the preconditioner applied to the raw wood? And then the stain? And then the sealer? And then the urethane? Can I brush each of these steps?

On the deeper gouges that cannot be ironed out, do you recommend putty?

Thanks again.

Dave D

As indicated, the Minwax pre-stain wood conditioner is recommended for soft woods and other species like maple that tend not to take stain evenly. Stain is usually wiped on and off. Go to www.minwax.com to learn more about stains and the conditioner. Go to www.nofma.org (National Oak Flooring Manufacturers website) to learn more about finishing wood floors.

Tinting the seal coat, then applying it is what the pros do to hard to stain woods.

You have to know what your doing, when you start becoming a chemist. :)

To ALL Who Responded,

Thanks for your help.

Dave D