Question about staining hardwood floors?

Question

I recently stained my hardwood floors. I applied an oil based stain on my sanded floors and wiped of the excess. I did this two times.

The floors seem dry but when I wipe over them with a white towel I get color on the towel. Is this normal or does this mean the stain didn't dry all the way? Is it bleedback? What should I do since I don't want to apply poly if it won't dry to the stain.

Answer 1

How long did you wait between the two coats of stain?  Go over the floor again and remove any excess and let it dry overnight.  You will always have some residue especially on a clean cloth after staining but it shouldn't be in excess.

Answer 2

All above answers are correct, assuming that you completely removed all traces of the existing finish.Make sure the stain is dry before you continue. Humidity also plays a role in slowing drying time. Try using a fan on the floor for a few hours.

Answer 3

Simply, the stain is not dry.   This could be very critical when applying a waterbased coating.  A solvent based product would have a better chance to adhere but is still asking for trouble if stain is not completely dry.  Give it another day or so.  Definetly not worth the chance.

Answer 4

depends on the type of stain you used.  you will probably get some color off when wiping with a clean rag.  if you used Minwax stain,  let it dry minimum 8 hrs, overnight preferably. Follow the manufacturers instuctions.  If you used the stain I use, its ready in less time than it took me to respond.