Fixing A Blotchy Stained Floor

Start by making a test board with your chosen sealer concentration.

Fixing a blotchy stained floor.

Depending on the size of the problem area you can sand it down small or use a liquid paint stripper large. What you are trying to do is remove as much of the stain possible. Still wet with a scotch brite pad and mineral spirits or naptha. Then stain the entire board.

A few dark spots on the floor can be fixed using lightening techniques but if your entire floor is blotchy and uneven consider a whole floor approach. Clean off all dust and wet the floor with warm water. This will require that you again use a. First strip as much of the color as possible.

If the surface that you have is very blotchy you need to make sure that you will remove the stain first by stripping it. Repeat this process until you get to the desired color depth. Apply a wash coat of shellac and then the statement. Then the only answer isto use polyshades and just paint on the stain with the poly.

One sure way to fix a blotchy stain is to sand it off and start over. If you need a darker glaze to cover up the blotchy areas use just the tip of a dry natural bristle brush to distribute the stain instead of wiping it off until it s an even color. If i do have some spots that donot stain just sand them again and reapply the stain. If the blotching isn t too severe try using a glaze to soften the contrast between the deeply colored and lighter areas.

Use a polisher on the main area of the floor using 80 grit screens followed by 100 grit screen to remove scratches. Let it dry and add a second layer of stain to all but one section. Wipe the brush off frequently as you work. If you re using an oil based stain scrub the surface while it s.

If the surface is very blotchy you ll have to remove the stain by stripping sanding or both and start over. This time apply a washcoat of shellac and then the stain. To apply liquid stripper spread it around evenly with a chip brush to create a nice thick layer. The next step is critical.

This will also even out the irregularities that may have occurred when sanding. For water based stains use a lacquer thinner. Leave the stripper for 30 minutes then scrape away following the wood grain. Wipe off the excess with a rag immediately.

Also with plywood justmake sure you do not over sand and get into the glue from where the plies areput together this will leave the same blotchy finish. You can also choose to sand it and even do both and just start over. Apply pre stain wood conditioner which makes the porosity of the whole piece more uniform. Scrub out the streaks then reapply the stain liberally.