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After: (Mind the dust...it was a construction site)
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Ooh, that looks really nice. Any hints or tips when selecting a contractor to stain my floors?

Wow, that looks really nice! It's like getting all new floors.

Use one that does floors and NOTHING but floors. See how nice these look? The contractor used a stain that wasn't compatible with the finish, and all of this is now peeling off (or it was...I had it done a second time by a floor only guy).

No cheap products! They tried using Min Wax products and the finish was terrible...way too light. You need a product that really penetrates the wood, or best...and I may still do this...you actually remove all of the existing finish, then DYE the floor brown, THEN stain with your final desired color.

To get your final color though, if only using a stain, you need to go with a deep jacobean type walnut tone 3 to 1 with ebony. I know you don't want black...but that's what it takes to get real chocolate.

The dye would come out about this same color but with less variation in the grain pattern (which you really see on the stair tread).

I will say, dust and all, I did love the color of these floors and can't wait to see them this dark again. :O)

igloochic - can you elaborate some on your MinWax experience? What kind did they use (oil or water-based), how many coats, etc.?

Hubby is a HD fanatic and is convinced that MinWax is a good product. From everything I've read I am not a HD fan. I just need to give him some facts to persuade him.

They used a water based min-wax product first, which just couldn't penetrate the tight grain of the oak (it's a red oak floor underneeth). Another wood might have done better, but oak is tough to get a stain to take on. The initial color was dark walnut, and then they tried to go over with an ebony and dark walnut mix. It was almost invisible. Then the idiots decided they should go ahead and use an oil based stain over the water based...that didn't take either and turned to gum. THEN they decided to use an oil based product from sherwin williams, which was a great product, but the initial applications mussed up the application so when they then used an incompatible finish LOL Well it looks great until you walk on it and the finish peels off.

Our real flooring guy says that minwax is a nice finish for furniture, but it's not able to penetrate floors (old floors in particular) deep enough to get a nice color out of it. In addition, it takes just a tiny bit of effort to scratch the finish and you come up with golden oak scratches on your chocolate floor.

The oil based finish from SW was a much better product (used on the treads without any of the errors so you can see the finish). It's one of their professional lines (you have to ask for it) and not easy to apply, but it does work well.

MinWax is a great product for furniture (I've used it and like it) but never again for floors!

Thanks igloochic. I'll pass the info on to him.