STAINING THE FLOORS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22412, 7 May 1936, Page 4

STAINING THE FLOORS

ADVICE FOR THE NOVICE Friends who are expert in staining floor boards will toll you that it is a waste of money to buy one of the many ready-made, quick-drying floor stains that are now on the market. They will describe instead one of the good old methods, of buying twopenny worth of certain chemicals, dissolving tho package in boiling water, and going over tho floor afterwards with a coat or two of varnish. The instructions sound easy enough to follow if they are given quickly and confidently. But as a beginner in tho art J have found it cheaper in the long run to buy a tin of the ready-made variety than to learn stickily and wearily from the experience of making up my own ingredients. Stains can now lie bought which give a glossy finish in addition to staining, so that the labour of varnishing or waxing can be saved. Points to Remember In tho process of staining there are a number of small common-sense points which are seldom mentioned to beginners, and which I have learned by tho clumsy method of trial and error. If these are observed by other novices they will happily be saved from somo of the trying situations in which I found myself when I was dealing with innumerable old floor boards which had never been stained before. It is essential that the floors which are to be stained should bo well scrubbed beforehand with hot water and soda. This should be done the previous day, so that the boards have time to become thoroughly dry. While this is being done any loose nails should be removed and paint marks scraped off. It is worth while taking trouble over the removing of any splashes of paint, as they tend to show through even the darkest stain. A penny is an efficient instrument for scraping paint oil. Aids to Staining While you are buying stain and a brush get a pair of rubber gloves. They are invaluable while you are staining floors, and they will have many uses afterwards, in addition to tho gloves, stain, and brush, take with you to the room in which you are working a soft kneeling-pad, an old newspaper, and a damp piece of old flannel. The uses of tho kneeling-pad are obvious. The newspaper is to act as a stand for the pot of stain. Drips from the tin will otherwise sink into the floorboard on which it is standing, and if these dry in before they are noticed the dark rings will give a patchy appearance even aficr they have been stained over. Tho damp llannel is handy for removing spots of stain which are inadvertently flicked on to the skirt-ing-board. If the woodwork is painted in a light colour this flannel is particularly useful. Before beginning to stain tho floor two points should be remembered. Windows should be well opened before starting, as the fresh air helps to dry the stain quickly. It is awkward to remember this instruction after the floor lias been finished, as it then becomes a problem to reach tho window, unless it is only a narrow surround that has been stained. Tho second point is that you have to make exit by tho door, as a rule. It is therefore usually best to start at one side of the door and work round the room, leaving until last a central portion as a kind of gangway down which you can move backwards to the door. It is a mistake to put tho stain 011 too lavishly, especially if the floorboards are old and tend to mop up the liquid as .soon as the brush is applied. By drawing the brush lightly and quickly over the surface of the board a more even finish is obtained and Jes® stain required.