Refinishing Harwood Floors: The 7 Biggest Mistakes
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Thinking about refinishing hardwood floors to achieve a light and modern white oak look? Many homeowners take on floor refinishing as a DIY house project to update their space without the cost of installing new flooring. However, when working with red oak floors, achieving the desired light finish can be challenging.
Without the right approach, red oak floors can turn out blotchy, streaky, or even redder than before. Refinishing wood floors requires careful preparation, the right stain choice, and the correct sealing process.
Based on our experience refinishing hardwood floors, I’ve rounded up 7 of the biggest mistakes homeowners make when refinishing floors.
The 7 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Refinishing Floors
1. Skipping Proper Sanding or Using the Wrong Grit
Sanding is one of the most important steps in refinishing hardwood floors. If the floor is not sanded properly, the new stain will not absorb evenly, leading to blotchy, uneven results.
Our floors were sanded 3 times (yes you read that right!) before the stain application was applied.
How to Fix It:
• Start with 36-60 grit sandpaper to remove the old finish.
• Work up to 100-120 grit for a smooth and even surface.
• Always vacuum and use a tack cloth to remove dust before staining.
Related Read: See how I lightened my floors in Refinishing Red Oak Floors Lighter.
2. Choosing the Wrong Stain Color
Many stains have warm undertones that can make red oak appear even redder or more orange. To achieve a neutral, light finish, the right stain choice is essential.
How to Fix It:
• Avoid stains with warm undertones, such as those labeled “honey” or “golden.”
• Use cooler-toned stains like Bona NordicSeal, Duraseal Weathered Oak, or a custom white-wash mix.
Related Read: Compare stain options in The Best Red Oak Floor Stains.
Recommended Product: [Link to Bona Nordic Seal]
3. Not Using a Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner
Red oak absorbs stain unevenly, which can lead to blotchy or streaky results, especially when using lighter stains.
How to Fix It:
• Apply a pre-stain wood conditioner before staining to ensure even absorption. We did not use a wood conditioner but our flooring professional buffed (once the sanding was complete), which helped keep the stain application smooth and even.
• Allow it to dry completely before applying stain. Do not get impatient and rush the drying process! If anything, let the floors dry longer than the recommended time.
Related Read: Check out Red Oak vs. White Oak Flooring to understand the key differences.
4. Over-Applying Whitewash or Pickling Stain
Applying too much whitewash may seem like the best way to lighten red oak floors, but it can result in a cloudy, streaky, or dull appearance.
We opted for 1 coat of the Bona Nordic Sealer (above) which gave us the perfect whitewash appearance. It may be tempting to “over apply” thinking that you will get a lighter look but do not make that mistake!
If you are using the Bona Nordic Sealer (or any whitewash application), follow the directions and do not deviate!
How do I know this?
When you are applying any whitewash, if you are not careful with your overlapping passes, you will see the sealer dry with a heavy line.
This very noticeable line will need to be sanded off when dry and the sealer reapplied.
It happened in a handful of areas during our refinishing processand while it wasn’t a big deal, it still takes time to fix and re-do.
How to Fix It:
• Apply thin layers of stain and wipe back excess to keep a natural look.
• Test in an inconspicuous area before applying to the entire floor.
Related Read: Learn how my floors held up in 1-Year Later: How Our Red Oak Floors Are Holding Up.
5. Forgetting About the Wood’s Natural Undertones
Even with the right stain, red oak naturally has pink and red undertones that may still show through.
How to Fix It:
• Consider adding a green or gray tint to the stain to counteract red tones. This part is really tricky. I personally was not interested in premixing different stain colors to counteract the red undertones and preferred the all in one white wash application that Bona Nordic provided.
If we were only refinishing hardwoods in a small room, mixing colors wouldn’t be a big deal but we were refinishing over 3000 square feet so one stain color was a must!
• Always test stain samples on your actual floor before committing to a full application.
Our refinished hardwood floors, while still a little warm, have a much lighter white oak look which we love!
6. Sealing With the Wrong Finish
Many homeowners finish their floor refinishing project only to find their floors have turned yellow over time.
This often happens due to the use of oil-based polyurethane, which enhances warm tones in the wood. If you do not want yellowish orange toned floors, do not use oil based poly!
The image above is older white oak flooring (from a 1950s home) with a clear poly top coat and you can see, the overall warmth is very pronounced.
For this particular project, a warmer tone looked the best and the floors were white oak (not red oak) so the clear oil base poly was the affordable option.
In this case, it was a win win! BUT if you have red oak floors and do not want a deep warm tone, (like the image above), do not use an oil-based polyurethane top coat.
How to Fix It:
• Avoid oil-based polyurethane, which adds warmth and can yellow over time.
• Use a water-based sealer such as Bona Traffic HD or Loba 2K Invisible. We used Bona Traffic HD.
Related Read: Find out which sealers I used in Refinishing Red Oak Floors Lighter.
Recommended Product: [Link to Bona HD Traffic Top Coat]
7. Ignoring Long-Term Maintenance
This topic is up for debate, many will say that lighter floors require more upkeep, as dirt, scratches, and daily wear are more visible.
Honestly, I disagree.
We had very dark, cherry stained looking floors prior to refinishing our floors and the dark shows all the dust and scratches WAAAAY more than the lighter floors.
I mean, if someone walks in the house with muddy boots, then the lighter floors definitely show the dirt more than the darker but everyone in our house knows, muddy boots in the house is a big fat no no! ha.
Without the right maintenance routine, refinished floors can start to look dull or worn.
This goes without saying, if you are going to spend the money to refinish your floors, do you best to care for them properly.
How to Fix It:
• Use rugs in high-traffic areas to minimize wear. During the wet and snowy months, we have the large black utility mats at our entrances we use all the time. They are not the prettiest but they hold up well, are easy to clean and are affordable.
• Clean with a pH-neutral hardwood floor cleaner to preserve the finish.
Recommended Product: [Link to a hardwood floor cleaner.]
Get My Free “Floor Refinishing Checklist”
If you’re planning to refinish wood floors, having the right tools and process mapped out will save time and effort.
Download my Floor Refinishing Checklist for a step-by-step guide to ensure your project is a success.
There is also a low cost printable PDF that you can purchase as well that explains step by step, how we refinished our floors. Just pop in your email, and I’ll email it to you!
[Get the Free Checklist Here!]
Final Thoughts on Refinishing Red Oak FloorsRefinishing floors requires attention to detail, but avoiding these common mistakes will help you achieve the modern, light oak look you want. With the right sanding techniques, stain selection, and sealing process, you can transform your red oak floors without the high cost of new flooring.
Meet Jessica
What started as a hobby, Jessica’s blog now has millions of people visit yearly and while many of the projects and posts look and sound perfect, life hasn’t always been easy. Read Jessica’s story and how overcoming death, divorce and dementia was one of her biggest life lessons to date.
