• Wood floor stain comes in a variety of colors that can make your wood darker or lighter.hardwood floor texture image by GoodMood Photo from Fotolia.com
  
  Staining a floor can revamp the look of a room. It can also cover up stains and marks on the floor. Though professionals can stain your floors easily, their services can be expensive for homeowners on a budget. Staining your own floors will save money and ensure the exact color you want. Always work in a well-ventilated area and wear proper eye and hand gear to protect yourself from paint fumes.
  
  

Know the Floor

• Different stains are created for different types of floors. Do not try to use one stain for red oak or cedar hardwood floors and except to get the same final color and texture. If you use the wrong stain for the floor, the species of wood may absorb too much or too little of the stain and it can appear uneven or splotchy.
  
  

Test on Scrap Wood

• Buy a piece of scrap wood that is identical in color and species to the wood floor. Test the staining process on the scrap of wood to see if it is indeed the color and sheen you want. Place the scrap of wood on the floor for at least one day to see what it looks like at various times of the day and under natural or your home's lights. Practice the staining process on scrap wood to perfect your technique before working on your home's floors.
  
  

Work in the Light

• Work in a well-lit area of your home or work area to make sure that you are evenly applying the stain. Stain that is applied in the dark or at night may look even, but in the morning it will show splotches and streaks from an uneven job. If you are working in a basement, use extra lamps and lighting.
  
  

Use Pre-Stain Conditioner

• Pre-stain conditioner will seal the pores of the wood so that the stain will be absorbed uniformly. This will prevent blotchy stains on the wood floor. To use it, brush the pre-stain onto the floor and let it dry according to the manufacturer's instructions. Lightly sand the surface to expose the wood. Do not sand too vigorously as you do not want to remove the pre-stain conditioner from the wood floor's pores. Pre-stain conditioner is especially useful on maple wood that tends to absorb stain unevenly.
  
  

Brush the Stain Off

• Staining a floor requires brushing the stain on the floor and then wiping it off with a clean cloth. Sometimes, on very porous woods, the stain will seep back out of the wood's pores and will leave little dots of stain on the surface of the wood. To prevent this from happening, lightly brush the stained floor with a soft bristled brush after you've wiped off the stain. The bristles will catch the extra stain in the pores and will pull it out.