Have you ever finished staining a floor and wished a darker or lighter color of stain had been selected? Applying a second coat of stain to change the color is something you might try once, but the chances of success are not very good. A second
coat of stain can cause other issues like peeling of the top coat(s).
Some may wonder, “What’s the big deal? It’s just another layer of stain.” The problem is that most stains contain color pigments, dyes, and a very small amount of binder. The first coat is thin enough for the top coat or sealer
to penetrate and bond to the wood fiber. If a second coat is applied, it builds the thickness and two things happen. First, the sealer or top coat cannot penetrate through the stain to grab the wood fiber. This causes the second issue, the bond
now relies on the strength of the stain to bond the surface coats to the wood. Most stains do not have enough internal strength to hold the entire film surface together, and this can cause peeling of the finish.
One way to avoid picking the wrong color is to do a test area using the actual wood and actual stain color. It’s not that uncommon to do a couple of samples to give the decision maker a couple options before the real work begins. New Basic
Coatings® HyperTone™ Stains consists of 14 oil/water hybrid stain colors that can all be mixed
and matched—including black and white—for darker or lighter custom colors.
The proprietary oil/water hybrid technology utilized in HyperTone Stains also facilitates greater pigment penetration for more intense colors. If you don’t like the color of the stain once it’s applied, it’s best to resand and restain
the entire floor.
For more information about HyperTone Stains, please click here.