The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-03-25
Staining Floors,

COAbAAl3 A1VOlos
With the present economical and pleas
ing fashion of stained floors partially
covered with rugs the following direc-
tons, given by the Art Interchange for
staining floors, will doubtless prove well
come to many readers:
The materials required can be bought
at any ordinary oil or color store. AS
general rule one quart of the staining
liquid will be sufficient to cover sixteen
square yards of flooring; but different
kinds of wood absorb in different proper
tons, soft woods requiring more for the
same space than hard woods. The colors
OF the stains are various, so that one
may either choose ebony, walnut, ma
hogany, rosewood, satin wood, oak me-
dunn oak or maple, according to the
paleness or depth of color desired. A
quart and half pint of the best varnish
are required to finish the sixteen yards
above mentioned. The necessary pur-
chases are completed by a good-sized
painters brush and smaller one. If
the wood is uneven it must be planed
and rubbed down to smooth surface,
while the cracks and space between the
boards, if very wide, may be disposed of
by process called slipping" by which
pieces of wood are fitted in. The floor
must next be carefully washed and al
lowed to dry thoroughly. The actual
staining may now be proceeded with.
The liquid is poured out into a basin
and spread all over the floor with the aid
of the large brush, the small one being
used to do the corners and along the
wainscoting, so that it may not be
smeared. 1t is best to begin staining at
the farthest corner from the doorway
and work round, so that ones exit may
not be impeded. 1t is also good plan
to work with the window open if there
is no danger of much dust or blacks fly
ing in, as the staining drys so much
quicker. After the floor is quite covered
the stainer for about an hour whilst the
drying is going on can make the size,
which should be put in large basin
with half a pint of cold water to each
pound, and then stood either on the hob
or in the oven to dissolve. Before
recommending the work also the
brushes must be washed, and this
is no great trouble, as a little
lukewarm water will take out all trace of
the stain and clean them quite sufficient
ly. The sizing is then laid on in exactly
the same manner as the staining, always
being careful to pass the brush length
wise down the boards. If the size froths
or sticks unpleasantly' it must be little
more diluted with warm water; some
times if the sediment from it is very thick
is all the betterfor being strained through
coarse muslin. The sizing takes rather
longer than the varnish to dry two or
more hours being necessary even on a
warm, dry day. Not until it quite dry,
however, can the last finish be put to the
work with the varnish. For this it is al
ways safest to get the very best and to
lay it on rather literally, though very
evenly, over every single inch, as the
stain will soon rub off when not pro-
tected by it. The best way to as
certain whether it is vanished all over
is to kneel down and look at the floor
sideways with ones eyes almost on a
level with it. Thus much for staining
and vanishing.
Some people, however, prefer the old
fashioned polish of bees-wax and tur-
pentine instead of varnish. The STAIN
ing is done in the same way as for
the other process, and while it is dry
ing the polish to finish it may be made in
the following manner: One and one
half pounds of beeswax is mixed with
five ounces of resin and one pint of tur-
pentine in basin and then stood in the
oven for few minutes until it is melted
to the consistency of thick cream.
When it is cool and the straining per-
fectly dry it is rubbed rapidly on the
floor with a cloth, and if it is too thick
to allow of this it should be diluted with
a little more turpentine; then it is brush
ed with some force with brush which
may be bought for the purpose, and
finally finished off with the finest of
baize. 1t will be seen from these direc-
tons that great deal more time and
labor have to be bestowed on this wax
polishing than on the vanishing pro-
cess. Apart from this it is not so dur
able and requires polishing once or
twice week to keep it looking bright,
whereas the varnish need only be
washed over with cloth wrung out of
clean warm water to make it look per-
fectly clean. People are often found
who object to stained floors, because
they imagine they soon wear shabby
with constant traffic; but, even if they
do, this is no great trouble to remedy.
Some linseed oil rubbed over all the
worn places, or even over the whole,
will be found to renovate it wonder
fully; while even if the floor becomes
much damaged it can easily be stained,
sized and vanished in the particular
spot without going over the whole.''I
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