The Hardwood Guys - Hardwood floor Stain Options

So you want a new color? Staining your hardwood floor:

Many homeowners want to darken or lighten their hardwood floor by
way of staining the wood prior to finishing. Stained oak flooring is quite
common, as oak accepts stain beautifully. We charge $0.80/sqft to stain
a floor prior to finishing it.
Besides oak hardwood flooring, there are some other woods that are not
suitable for staining, including Maple and Fir flooring.
According to the Maple Flooring Manufacturer's Association website,
"Due to the extremely tight cellular structure and variable grain patterns
inherent in northern hard maple, the Maple Flooring Manufacturers
Association (MFMA) does not recommend staining or bleaching maple
strip flooring under any circumstances."
The Hardwood Guys recommends Water Based finish over Maple
flooring because the Berger-Seidle Water based finish we use has UV
inhibitors in it, which delays or inhibits the color change that naturally
occurs with exposure to light, contributing to a more yellowing look on
Maple in particular. In addition, this finish has very low VOCs and is
considered an eco-friendly floor finish.

The basic finish options we offer are:

WATER BASED FINISH

Water-based urethane is a waterborne urethane that dries by
water evaporation. These finishes are clear and non-yellowing,
and contain UV inhibitors which delay or inhibit the natural color
changing process, keeping the wood closer to it's original color.
They have a milder odor than oil-modified finishes have and they
dry in several hours. Water-based urethanes are generally applied
in least 3 coats. Lowest VOC content. The Berger-Seidle Water
based finish we use is environmentally friendly.