Talking Shop: Your Customer Wants a Black Floor. How Do You Do It?

As21 Talking Shop Jim Devins

Here are our favorite responses shared by our readers on the WFB Facebook and Instagram pages.

 


Onn 821 Wfb As21 Talking Shop Ecasta83 Med

Ecasta83

General Finishes Jet Black water-based stain with water-based urethane.

 


Allen Rapaport

I would water-pop with black dye from Lockwood, then use DuraSeal True Black. Then universal sealer and Bona Naturale.

 


Off 821 Wfb As21 Talking Shop Dan Aeschliman Med

Dan Aeschliman

This floor started off as prefinished bird's-eye maple floor. We sanded and water-popped, used Ebony stain, Bona Intense Sealer and two coats of Traffic HD Satin.

 


mscsinc

Loba Pretone Black, then either True Black stain and finish or Rubio hardwax Charcoal.

 


Occ 821 Wfb As21 Talking Shop Bob Alberding Med

Bob Alberding

On oak, water-pop and stain with DuraSeal True Black, and let sit for at least 48 hours before topcoating. If that's not dark enough, you can add iron acetate on a white oak floor, then stain. If you still need more you can add tinted finish to the mix, like a Basic Coatings HyperTone mixed with finish.

 


surfacetheory

White oak flooring, char it with a quick burn, wire-brush, then apply Rubio Ebony finish.

 


Ohh 821 Wfb As21 Talking Shop Nora Gutierrez Med

Nora Gutierrez

Glitsa Sable Black! Water-popped white oak. Another company had already tried to tint coat to get the deepness my customer wanted, but this got it with one coat.

 


Kingsley Wong

India ink. Period.

 


Oqq 821 Wfb As21 Talking Shop Michael james74 Med

Michael.james74

I actually used a very dark gel stain. It went against everything I believed in but the homeowner was all for it. I used the darkest color I could find and applied three coats and two coats of finish on top. It's black and it came out more beautiful than I expected.

 


Chris Hodges

Paint it black and put two coats of water over it.

 


Odd 821 Wfb As21 Talking Shop Brian Adams Med

Brian Adams

This is Rubio Precolor Easy Intense Black with Bona Traffic Satin finish over walnut wood.

 


Michael Kerner

Iron acetate followed by True Black or Ebony. The iron acetate gives background color and pops the grain for the stain.

 


Scott J. Walker

Black TransTint aniline dye. Seal it with oil or dewaxed shellac. Then sit back and wait for them to complain about it showing everything.

 


Oee 821 Wfb As21 Talking Shop Chris Kritzer Med

Chris Kritzer

Tigerwood does not like to be black; we used black aniline dye with Bona Ebony with black-tinted finish.

 


Obb 821 Wfb As21 Talking Shop Beaver Hardwood Med

Beaver Hardwood

Bona Ebony. Provincial for border. Traffic finish.

 


RELATED: Don't Go Astray With Custom Stain Colors on Wood Floors


Page 1 of 7
Next Page
Resource Book
Looking for a specific product or a company? Wood Floor Business has the only comprehensive database of the industry.
Learn More
Resource Book
Podcasts
All Things Wood Floor, created by Wood Floor Business magazine, talks to interesting wood flooring pros to share knowledge, stories and tips on everything to do with wood flooring, from installation, sanding and finishing to business management.
Learn More
Podcasts