See those dark blotches....bad uneven sanding.

Start with better sanding. Hard plate and Do not skip grit 60, 80, 100, 120 then 150 grit. Then water pop and try golden oak for a start.

So I’m building a home & chose maple for my stair caps

Why not choose a wood that's a better match?

In hindsight, I would have. But stair caps are already on & then flooring already ordered so I’m stuck w my past decisions & trying to make do if possible.Just started trying to stain match for paint/stain phase so now the past choice errors have become clear

Maple is a BEAST to stain. Which is why so many people don't even try. I'm HOPING the REAL stain attempt is MUCH better than the 'sample'. But the reality is it is a very, very good match (hoping the blotchiness goes away).

Now the KILLER: the stain will NOT stay that way. Sigh. Even with a water based polyurethane (clear coat) maple turns yellow on it's own. All it takes is 'maple' + 'UV light'. That's it. The two together = maple turns strong margarine yellow.

There is one way to stop this from happening = expensive UV blocking additive. Not all finish manufacturers use them.

Before your builder tries the stain PLEASE ask them if they use a UV blocking agent with the Maple. If they don't, then you might as well go with a dark, almost black, stain and keep going. Any 'off-white' maple is going to turn an icky yellow after a single summer.

That is FANTASTIC advice- thank you so so much!!! I had no idea about the UV agent either.

Sorry, dumb question, what is a stair cap? Is it the step itself or is it a cap on top of short walls that enclose the stair? If it’s the latter what about just painting it white? My mother in laws condo had rich dark floors but the builder would only clear coat the oak wall caps (that’s what I do he said) so we just went in and painted them white and they disappeared.

Thank you Hallett & Co- I believe that will be the backup plan, just was hoping to avoid since the staining was part of the design theme- attached picture of the stairs showing the end stair “caps”- carpet runner will go down the middle, so only “real” wood for staining are the ends of the stairs.

I am thinking it is the nosing but could be wrong.That maple will have to be much better stained IMO What are the other darker wood pieces? Oh maybe she means the treads on the stairs which could have been done in the same flooring as the rest of the floors.

Sorry- I probably am not using correct terminology- this picture shows what I mean- where the maple “caps” are, carpet runner in between them- and the floor sample I’m trying to stain the maple too.

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False treads.

Hi, Jennifer,

There are a lot of choices to make when building a custom--or even a semi custom-- home. It's often the case that an owner's selection made early in the process conflicts with one made later on. Don't beat yourself up for that.

To be sure, maple is a bear to stain. I think you'll have a hard time getting it to be a reasonable match to the oak floor. If you don't succeed, I think it will look like what it is: a poor attempt at a match.

Have you asked your builder about the cost and schedule implications of removing the false treads and re-installing them in oak?

Charles Ross Homes, Thank you. I certainly appreciate your feedback. I actually just sent an email to the builder this weekend asking the cost/timeline for re-doing them in oak....I’m assuming I won’t like the answer tho ;). I always learn the hard way.