You can also lighten dark hardwood floors using a stripping compound designed for this purpose. Apply an even coat using a paintbrush, then allow it to remain on the wood for the recommended period of time.
Use a Store-Bought Chemical Abrasion Kit
A few brands might name their product differently, but they have the same process. You use a chemical solution to prepare the flooring and etch the old finish so the new finish will bond. Then you'll apply a new coat of finish to restore your floor.
Given that engineered hardwood floors are covered with a veneer of solid wood, you absolutely can bleach them. But: you have to make sure that your veneer layer is thick enough to be sanded down (as this is part of the bleaching process).
Darker woods, like cherry and mahogany, aren't that well suited to whitewashing as it could make them look brown or grey rather than add a subtle lightness.
Today, Basic Coatings has an approved system and one-stop solution to accomplish this goal on sport, commercial, or residential wood floors. Our entirely waterbased system can help contractors change a wood floor color without sanding with a simple, easy-to-follow process.
One of the most effective ways to lighten your furniture surfaces with a dark wood stain is by bleaching with a chemical stripper. Since chemicals will be used in this process, make sure to work in a well-ventilated area so you will not breathe in harmful fumes and prevent stains and accidents.
If your floors are dark, you'll want to go lighter with some of the other decorative items. But the contrast doesn't have to be boring. Olma Fuentes, the founder and principal of New Jersey-based Deni + Dove Interiors, recommends using lighter neutrals such as variations of cream, whites, taupes, and beiges.
Engineered wood flooring is made up of multiple layers of wood that are glued together unlike solid hardwood, which is made from a single piece of wood. The top layer, or veneer, is the layer that gives the flooring its appearance and can be sanded and refinished to change its color.
As long as you have healthy hardwood, you can sand and refinish it. You will need to fully sand the floor first. After sanding, you can stain the floor a different color. From there, you add the finish.
When you refinish your floors, you can change the color of your flooring. Most hardwood floors can be made darker, lighter, redder, or anywhere in between. If your flooring is solid hardwood, it can be sanded and refinished in a different stain for a different appearance.
If the wood is too dark, soak a clean cloth in turpentine or mineral spirits and rub the wood firmly and evenly along the grain. This will lighten the stain but not remove it.
Sanding does help to lighten wood in many cases, but this only applies to surface soil or grime, and even then only if the discoloration has not penetrated very deeply.
Whether you're using a small amount of bleach in hot water to mop your floors, or have spilled undiluted bleach directly on your hardwood floors, the bleach will begin to lighten the wood. The amount and concentration of lightening and might depend on what your floors have been treated with.
When it comes to how to change the color of your engineered hardwood floor, sanding and refinishing is by far the most popular method. Sanding removes the existing finish, creating a fresh start for your new color. Take care to sand only engineered hardwood floors that have a thick enough veneer layer.
There are only two cases that require you to have your engineered wood floor refinished. First, refinishing is the best choice for restoring a new look if the floor exhibits significant wear through the sealer and into the wood. The second case is when you want to modify the color of the stain.
'Recoating is a great way to restore the look of your hardwood without a full sand down. It's the process of adding a new topcoat of finish to an existing wood floor finish,' explains Brett Miller, vice president, Technical Standards, Training, and Certification at the National Wood Flooring Association.
Regardless of the type of wood your flooring is, it can likely be changed to a lighter stain. Dark hardwood floors can pull a house design with striking finishes and alluring tones. However, there may come a time when you decide that your house needs some sprucing up.
Color: when we think about a spacious room, blonde wood often comes to mind. Floor color plays a major role in making your small space seem larger. We often recommend light colors to give the room an airy feel. For example, blonde, light brown, or whitewashed hardwood can make the room seem more open.
Even when the dark hardwood trend ends, dark hardwood flooring never goes out of style and is considered a timeless classic. Dark hardwood floors also hardly show dirt or scratches.
If you try to apply a light color of stain over the top of an existing dark finish, you won't notice much difference. To completely alter the color of the finish, strip down the existing stain using a petroleum-based solvent. Once you've lightened the wood, you may add a lighter color of stain.
Apply two coats of primer
Dark wood or stained wood furniture is notorious for tannins bleeding through new and light paint. I used a water-based Gripper Primer first. Two other good primers are STIXX or Zinsser.
How do you make wood stain lighter? Because stains penetrate the surface, it's impossible to apply a lighter stain over it. The original stain has to be removed. In order to remove a wood stain, the surface has to be sanded repeatedly until the original stain is completely removed.