Hardwood floors can be a beautiful addition to your business, but what happens when your formerly lustrous and elegant floors become dingy and scratched? Where you once had a posh and upscale appearance, your entire facility looks worn down, just because your floors have some age. Luckily, hardwood floors can be restored to near new conditions with the help of some experienced contractors. With that in mind, here are five of the best stains for hardwood floors, which you may want to request upon hiring.
MINWAX
Minwax products are the go-to floor stain for the everyman. It’s sold in practically every store that carries any type of paints, and is offered in a wide variety of colors. Their website boasts over 100 different ways to color your wood finishes and special effects. Miniwax offers a variety of products for simple one-step staining, clear finishes, and even maintenance and repair. Minwax is a very versatile brand that you cannot go wrong with.
BONA DRIFAST STAIN
Bona is an oil-modified stain that is ready for reapplication in two hours. It comes in the traditional wood colors, and is also sold practically everywhere. Bona DriFast is a favorite of contractors for its quick dry time. After all, the faster it dries, the faster the job gets done!
DURASEAL FASTDRY
DuraSeal is a little harder to find, typically available at Hardwood supply stores. It is also favored, for its 2-3 hour dry time. DuraSeal offers more options than Bona DriFast as far as color is concerned, but it is also harder to find. DuraSeal differs from Bona in that it is an oil and resin blend, which gives floors “a soft, satiny sheen.”
FABULON CRYSTAL
Fabulon Crystal is made by Essex Silver Line, and boasts a 1-2 hour dry time. Based on bowling lane finishes, Fabulon is a waterborne finish that is “practically odorless”. It is offered in a satin or gloss finish, but its color options are fairly limited. If your needs are simple and urgent, Fabulon is the way to go.
VARATHANE BY RUSTOLEUM
Rustoleum products are about as common as Minwax, but the Varathane is more of a specialty product, so it’s available in hardware stores. It is offered as a one-step product, or separately as a finish and stain. Boasting “Aluminum Oxide Nano Technology”, Varathane is said to be incredibly scuff, scratch, and stain resistant. The only potential downfall is that they recommend a minimum of 3 or 4 coats. So if time is on your side, and you want to best protect your floors, Varathane Premium Finish is what you want.
There are hundreds of stains for hardwood floors. Between colors, doing one-step, or separate stain and finish, the choices can be mind-boggling. It is important to discuss your needs with your contractor in order to get the best type of stain for your hardwood floors. That way you can reclaim your upscale appearance, impress your customers, and be satisfied with your floors again. We do handle floor staining, so if it’s something you’re thinking about, please give us a call!