We know you can’t always find the exact product you want, so we carry a great range of unfinished solid wood flooring products to make your interior design life a little easier. Unfinished oak flooring is a signature option from our studio, so here’s how to do a great DIY staining job on your unfinished oak floor. There are two types of stain – oil-based and water-based. Equipment •    Mop (if “water popping” is required) •    Cotton rags (t-shirts work well) •    Natural Sponge Water Popping When applying a water-based stain, it’s necessary to prepare the surface by sanding and then “water popping”, which is really just a fancy name for running a wet mop over the newly sanded surface to bring out the grain. Thirty minutes drying time and you’re ready to apply the stain. Applying the Stain Remember to stir the stain before application to blend the pigment. The idea is to apply the stain using the cotton rags (smoothing with the natural sponge if necessary) evenly, moving from one side of the room to the other. We find working in 2/3ft rectangles works well. •    Apply the stain in the same direction the grain and boards run. If you don’t, little accumulations of stain could cause colour irregularities. •    Don’t slap on a huge puddle and work it out. Only apply the stain in small, even amounts. It should take about 4 hours for each coat of the stain to dry, but try to leave overnight if possible.