Q: I recently sanded down hardwood floors to apply a new stain. When sanding was over we were in a time crunch so decided to apply a 2 in 1 stain/poly. We made some application errors the first time around which resulted in dark lap marks. We talked to the company and they recommended sanding lap marks with a 220 grit sandpaper to lighten them up to the surrounding floor. We have done that and we just aren’t sure if we’ve done enough and we are timid to continue staining until we know we have. Any suggestions on our next steps to blend the floors enough that we will get an even finish throughout?
Lap Marks
Q&A About the frequent issue of lap marks when staining wood floors.
Applicator marks in stain, where Lambswool applicator first/last touched the floor
Q: I recently sanded my Red Oak floors and prepared them for staining. They looked amazing before the stain hit the deck. I applied DuraSeal Medium Brown with a Lambswool applicator, following the instructions from the container. I did about a 10 sq. ft., waited about 6 min., and tried to wipe off the excess. Every time I wiped (again with the lambswool applicator), I got a dark stain line / applicator marks in stain where the applicator first/last touched the floor.
Getting rid of staining lap marks
Q: I have just finished staining my pine floor. I used a wood conditioner and then used an oil based stain. I did this in two parts, and now I have lap marks.
Lap marks in finish
Q: I recently installed and finished a hickory floor myself. The install was tough, but it came out great. Sanding went well, but finishing left streaks and blotches (did an oil modified sealer then water based urethane).
Didn’t wipe off excess stain! Removing excess stain from hardwood floor
Q: I recently stained my floors in sections. Red oak floors with ****** Red oak stain. I applied with a sponge and blended with a china brush. I did NOT wipe it off. I can see the lap marks where the stain overlapped.
Lap marks from staining
Q: I have lap marks on my hardwood floor from the staining process. Is there any way of minimizing or removing these, short of starting all over again?