Staining a Hardwood Floor with Vinegar and Steel Wool

[@Bonner901]

Beautiful

[@bakersbuilds]

Im trying this on a reclaimed pallet project in the future!

[@jeraldgarner1636]

What was the result? I’ve been collecting up to 50 pallets for various accent walls and projects and would like to grey them instead of using the same dark brown stain.

[@brandonrosa1310]

Is there an exact mixture of equal or greater or lesser parts to one another??? Please do tell, this is only thing I don't want to mess up. Wondering if I have too little steel wool if it will be too light and vise versa for dark.

[@neryixcoy]

Hi I can see the marks that you are living whit the rugs....that won't go away...

[@Ritercrazy]

Amazing!

[@tracystewart9815]

I would water pop the floor first let dry over night in a warm home(65). When applying the solution keep the fresh edge wet. In the video he was applying the solution to dry which gives a double stain look everywhere he started and stopped.

[@charlotteprescott-ruland9121]

I know this is super old; but...that "double stain" look will disappear and it will all even out in just a few minutes. I have A LOT of experience and have never had streaks or "double stained" look. What I have had, though, is the obvious white looking plank you see in this video. I had this happen and for the life of me I could not get that one spot to stain...drove me nuts! And all he said about it was, "it's the board." I have to find out why and what I can do...

[@Antidogma07]

Paint a little bit of thickly brewed black tea to the portion that did not stain properly. That will add the missing tannins to that portion of wood. Make sure not to apply the tea to the darker stained areas, or the extra tannins will make them even darker. Once the tea-treated area is dried, stain again with the vinegar-steel wool solution. It will even out.

[@csn6234]

You're right, Paul. Black tea before the vinegar mixture is the missing link. I'm surprised they didn't discuss that in this video.

[@a-love510]

It’s because that’s a piece of sapwood. Sapwood has very little tannins so it gets little to no reaction. Something to keep in mind when doing a fumed floor. During install try to pull any pieces with sap. Unless you like the variation then just mix it in evenly when dry laying ​@@charlotteprescott-ruland9121

[@-musiclee-]

I have white oak floors 6”. What finish would be applied on top of this ?? Can I use Bona High Traffic HD. XX matte? Not sure if water base finish is ok on top of this iron acetate finish. I want to apply 3 coats Bona. Thanks you!! Please advise.

[@justinnorton4433]

how would this do on a red oak?

[@ef3438]

I want to try this on refinishing a red oak desk, wondering if it will work?

[@matthewcunningham1190]

Justin Norton it works good on red oak also but the red shines threw

[@justinnorton4433]

Nice. Thanks.

[@Bricktamblin04]

Is it safe to coat apoxy clear on top after the staining?

[@grahamhunt8579]

Bricktamblin04 h

[@grahamhunt8579]

Bricktambliibi b i by u iin04

[@mohdroszaidi5708]

It is suitable for pine wood

[@Sheba936]

+roszaidi osman Probably. But I'd try it on a sample first. Pine is a Softwood and would probably absorb the mixture (whatever the proportions are!) a lot faster.

[@beaburns1]

+SunShine very few tannens in pine, hardly any change , if any

[@galady8632]

I believe you would need tea bags or tea leaves tied in cheesecloth (or even a sock), to the mixture. Pine contains few tannins, tea will add the necessary tannins.

[@richardupinya2858]

does the vinegar have an adverse effect with with water based poly? would love to try this.

[@sirnuggets9666]

was wondering the same thing, i feel like there's too many things to go wrong here like if you wanted to apply toners or as you say a water based poly coating. I personally wouldn't mind experimenting but never have the time.

[@MrJustliketht]

4 years later. What type of wood are you using this on

[@CityFloorSupplyLLC]

This was done on white oak.

[@MevLanna]

I'm planning on sanding down an old pine table.. Will this work for me?? Also I want a white stain as well.. Please help

[@carlos__pr]

If I were to use this on hardwood floors, would the color change over time? If so, how much?

[@TileBitan]

iron II will eventually oxidize to iron iii due to oxygen in the air and make a deep brown color instead of jet black

[@daleturner3507]

Can it be sanded back and then stained to give a weathered but golden look?

[@mattycspeaks]

Conversion varnish for flooring? Wow. Hard to pull that off in a residence. Those products are usually for industrial shop use only with proper equipment on cabinets.

[@tferr9]

My floors came out almost black. My wife loves it

[@turog6291]

What kind of finish did you used on top coat

[@tferr9]

Varathane water based polyurethane. Its ok, seems to scratch easily.

[@tferr9]

@@turog6291 varathane water based polyurethane. Its ok. Scratches easily

[@tferr9]

@@daveryan9152 3

[@deenies266]

Does anyone know how this would look on birch?

[@justinmoore1553]

It comes out a little rosy. If you want it to look more distressed, I'd suggest adding a layer of black tea so that the iron acetate has more tannins to react with.

[@sirnuggets9666]

use a pre-conditioner on birch as most stains come out blotchy on birch.

[@sirnuggets9666]

Anyone know if you could use a gel stain or maybe a toner on top of this to achieve a different shade or would the acidity of the vinegar stain interfere with that or cause problems later on? Also if you were staining birch in this manner would it come out blotchy like birch normally does, or would you need a wood pre-conditioner before applying this type of staining?

[@CityFloorSupplyLLC]

The vinegar and steel wool reaction is best on tannin filled wood like White Oak. You will get a slight reaction on birch but nowhere as intense as oak. When top coating a wood floor treated with this type of solution we recommend using an oil based product as the first coat. Birch does stain some what blotchy at times. We recommend doing a small test are to see if the effects are what you are looking for.

[@tferr9]

Can this be applied with a wool applicator

[@CityFloorSupplyLLC]

Hey Todd! Yes, a lamb's wool pad can be used. You wouldn't want to use steel wool directly (could add varying levels of iron acetate). Whether you use a rag, paint pad or lamb's wool pad; the important thing is to wet out the floor evenly without overlap. Thanks!

[@tferr9]

Came out pretty good. Can it be sealed with a water based sealer?

[@tferr9]

Sorry one more question. Should the floor be lightly sanded after the vinegar/steal wool application, before applying poly

[@CityFloorSupplyLLC]

Baking Soda mixed with water will neutralize the Iron Acetate. After this we would “tack” the floor with water dampened towels then let dry. A commercial catalyzed waterbase sealer or another sealer that will not react with tannins can be applied. As always it’s best to test an area before going ahead and doing the whole floor. Baisc Coatings makes a commercial catalyzed sealer and another called lock n Seal to block tannin reactions. Thanks!

[@tferr9]

Thank you very much. My floors came out great!

[@14YOBANA1]

will it work on maple wood?

[@CityFloorSupplyLLC]

Thanks for watching. While this might work on white maple, we recommend this particular method for white oak. Always perform a test on a small area of the wood (like a scrap) before applying it to the entire floor to make sure it lines up with your expectations.

[@luisvilca2741]

Hi guys. Question. How can I make it. Shining., I stained my floor and looks great but not shining

[@patricktcrowe]

luis vilca use a non yellowing water base clearcoat. If you use satin or semigloss you'll probably be happy with the sheen. Gloss shows every defect, smear etc. But, if you want gloss, you want gloss.

[@truthfinder4973]

it l00ks like craps light hear then thick then light all 0ver the place lma0

[@saelaverdad8183]

is it permanent or would it bleed onto your socks?

[@andrewgraham5080]

6% vinegar?

[@An_Urban_monk]

Could you please redo the video with the proper white-balance/color correction. The warehouse lights are skewing the color so we can't see the real effect. You can color correct in FinalCut Pro and iMovie fairly easy. I assume you are using a mac given the theme music :-)

[@ruprex]

derp

[@Rebelwellnesslmt]

Pretty cool but my mix turned out to be black. lol glad it was a test run.

[@charlotteprescott-ruland9121]

Yes, vinegar stain is a hit or miss. I would not suggest it on flooring unless you are going for a nice rugged/rustic look, or for a beachy look. If yours turned black, maybe you let it sit too long (I don't let it sit longer than 24-30 hours, which is why I only make enough for what I'm going to use), or perhaps you used too much steel wool. You don't need a lot. I'd say, for a 5 gallon bucket, I'd only use a couple pads.

[@keirgazelle2451]

It depends on the wood..if you have a wood that has plenty of tannins then it will be darker. Pine you have to use black tea with because pine has little tannins and the tea adds that. It also depends on the vinegar..if you use apple it will be more red.

[@NotAnAngryLesbian]

Wutter based.

[@today7518]

Uncertain about how he applied this product...didn't work with boards and looks like he got a very uneven and blotchy result. One can see where he started and stopped applying product. Rag seemed wetter or dryer resulting in uneven look. Interesting look, but not sure about how he applied it.

[@juniorhorndog69]

Does not work. Steel wool was in vinegar 2 weeks and never changed colors

[@CityFloorSupplyLLC]

+Rob Mul Hello Rod Thanks for watching. It is not uncommon for the solution to remain clear. The reaction that is occurring between the steel wool and the vinegar is creating an Iron acetate solution. Typically overnight is plenty. Most importantly is the wood species this solution is being used to color. It works best on White Oak as there are extratives in this species that react well to Iron Acetate. Do a test with the solution that has been soaking that long. You may like the look or you may try to use one that has been sitting for a day. Take care

[@Mike-vt6is]

Did you use stainless steel

[@tracystewart9815]

you could still see all your lap lines. My customers would never except that blotchy look. The color was great, application needs work though. it is usually very easy to make a sample look good... but, when applied I the real world it is so much harder. I think this was a fail.

[@yurakovalec7292]

do it yourself , go to woodprix page and learn how .