Staining Wood Floor a Bold Color

Q: I would like to stain my hardwood oak floors to a very non-traditional, bold color. For example: indigo, blue, or blood red. Minwax makes some water based stains in those colors, are those advisable for the floor? They can be seen here: http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/stains/minwax-water-based-wood-stain#Colors

They will be coated with oil based polyurethane. Also, Benjamin Moore makes custom colored oil stains, would those be a better choice? Any other advice on working with such colors? Thank you!!

A: I definitely would not use the Min Wax stain. I believe they say on their web site those particular stains are not meant for wood floors. You are much safer with the Benjamin Moore colours and they dry fast. They can be a little tricky to work with too, especially the reds, probably because of the high pigment levels. Apply it in narrow rows with a cloth and then go back and give it a quick wipe with a clean rag to remove any excess.

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