20 Best Stain For White Oak Floors (Jan 2023 Update)

First things first, I love that there are so many color choices for this stain! It took me forever to decide betqeen a fun color or traditional stain, but in the end I went with Buckeye Brown. I also loved that it was low odor, so I could use it inside without irritating my mini pigs sensitive snout. Minwax has a great tutorial on how to use this product on their Youtube channel, and i highly recommend checking it out before starting your project. I unfortunately could not find the Pre Stain conditioner that is recommended, it was sold out at the 2 locations I went to, and I feel like my results would have been a little better if I had used this before the stain. This product IS thicker than I expected, and it is a bit messy, so just prepare your work area accordingly. I tested the stain on an extra piece of wood first so I knew how long to leave it on before wiping, and found that a minute and a half was just about right, and a synthetic pad worked better to wipe that a rag did. Overall the process took longer than I was anticipating, but it turned out pretty well. Seriously do yourself a favor and watch the YouTube video, it really did help me to better prepare my project. I will definitely be purchasing this product in different colors for other projects in the future, cant wait to try the fun colors next!Ginag

Bought this in Carbonite at Lowe's. The color on the top of the can matched the swatch so thought I was good to go. Went home and applied it PER THE INSTRUCTIONS on meticulously prepared wood. Tried it on an inconspicuous first thank God and let me assure you it in NO WAY looks anything like the photos Minwax is peddling online. It's just not a solid stain, at least this shade isn't. To achieve the color I expected per the pic on the website you would need MULTIPLE coats. I actually bought the solid version of this stain because the semi-transparent version was also complete garbage. I thought I just had some bad luck the first go round but no, the water based stains are an absolute waste of money. I'm out $30 if you count the semi-transparent can I bought too, and since Lowe's won't accept returns on tinted paints I came here to go full-on Karen. If I can't get a refund I can at least give a super duper honest review, which will achieve absolutely nothing buy it has made me feel a bit better so there's that.MinwaxKaren

The Minwax Water-Based Stain does a lovely job highlighting the wood grain in the item you are staining. First, before you purchase this product you have to pick the color of the stain that you want. I had 40 choices to choose from, out of this entire job picking the color was the hardest, soooo many colors to choose from. Colors like pink, blue, purple, pink, tea, blue, red, gray, etc. I believe there were 40 colors to choose from. I almost picked orange but saw the Pecan color and knew that was the one. Because it's a water-based stain it doesn't have a horrible smell. The Minwax label says that the stain is 5x thicker for easy application, which I can verify. We waited patiently to see the results after we applied the stain with a sponge brush. The two minutes went by pretty fast and we were able to wipe off the extra. The color is great and the stain really did bring out the wood grain. We did want to try it and wipe it off write away. The color was stunning only it didn't bring out the grain. My suggestion is to wait the two minutes. Seeing the wood grain just gives it a bit more richness to the color.Babshoun

Not a fan of water based stain. Used the provincial on bare maple stock and maple ply (2×4' shaker door) finish came out terrible. Never using water based stain ever again.Adam Gehart

These stains appear to never fully dry. Compared to oil based wiping stains, I think the color is more opaque. On my last project I waited over a week before top coating. If you use a water based top coat, I think the first coat has to be sprayed on, or the stain lifts off. I am using General Finishes top coat which I do like.William

I LOVE this product. It helped sell a house I used to own and is helping repair the one my husband purchased most recently! This stuff is like GOLD! I used it in my other home to update the medium oak cabinets in the kitchen and baths. AMAZING Transformation and a short learning curve! Currently, I'm using it on a six year old home that former owners did not care for well. I will attach a picture of the door they had scratched horribly – you can't tell there was damage now – wahoo! I'm using it on banisters that were terribly scratched up – they look better than new. Also, shelving and large pillars, along with touchups on cabinet doors. THANK YOU – please never discontinue this product – you've been a great company to deal with and this product is my favorite ever!!!johnmcd62

I have used the Java Gel Stain to refinish bathroom cabinets in the past with excellent results. So I decided after a lot of debate to refinish the staircase in our two story home. We recently installed new laminate flooring that is a very dark color and did not contrast well with the staircase. The staircase had a lot of red hues. I knew this was going to be a major project. Mental preparation is probably more important than task preparation in my opinion. Allow yourself enough uninterrupted time to complete the job and take breaks. The key to using gel stains is to work in small sections. Within a minute or so using the brush application it becomes very difficult to move the stain. If dark is what your looking for, then apply the gel stain liberally and feather it quickly. This like all finish applications will be well worth your time and money to purchase a high quality brush. A soft brush will be to weak to pull the stain. A stiff brush will streak. I have found a medium to be the most practical for gel stains. Now before you start a large project. Prep. Prep. Prep. So most I’ve read has said to use a scotch brute pad to toughen the surface before applying. I disagree. If you want the stain to lock on using the brushing method I have found that 220 grit sandpaper will provide the best surface for adhesion. This project took 8 hours of sanding and vacuuming. Followed up with masking all the areas I didn’t want the stain to get on. Our house has all bedroooms upstairs so the plan to sleep elsewhere was established and making sure any all and everything we might need was brought downstairs. So I started with the handrails and balusters. Then working from the top step downward. After 16 hours I returned for a second coat. I started this project on a Friday at noon and finished Sunday afternoon around 2. I was blown away with the results. The staircase is absolutely stunning.John

Hated it. Hands down the worst stain I've worked with. I'll never use it again. I wish I could get my money back on it. Let me back up to 5 minutes before I first used it… I was excited to try it. I had watched a few videos from General Finishes along with a few Youtube videos on the product. It seemed like a great choice. Easy to work with, beautiful, rich colors. As the General Finish spokeswoman said "Easy Peezy". So I applied it to a raw, unfinished oak table top just like the factory video explained. Wiped it on, wiped it off. 95% of the table looked beautiful, but there were a couple spots where it felt like I literally wiped the stain off the table exposing the bare wood again. Remind you, I worked quickly, just like the video explanation taught me. I'm going to save you the details, but needless to say I stripped off the stain and re-sanded the table with 120 grit, thinking that maybe those couple spots were sanded with sandpaper that was too fine, not allowing the stain to adhere to the wood. Fast forward, I reapply the stain and it looks great everywhere! Yay! So about a week later I go to wipe on General Finish ArmRseal and I apply it just like the video taught and the urethane wiped the stain up in a couple spots. I was gently wiping too! I was pissed. I'm done. I stripped the finish off and removed the gel stain and have now finished with a traditional stain. It's drying right now as I'm typing this. Today was probably a bad day for me to get this review to fill out, but if it saves one other person from the experience I had, it was worth it.Travis

A little bit goes a long way! Coloration is great. Perfect for distressed projects. The Kona is by far my favorite for contrastKSD7

I went against everything in my brain telling me not to buy a stain online. . .wow did it pay off! This stain is amazing! It absolutely coats in 1 coat and leaves a really rich grey color behind, I used a rag to rub some of it off so it was a bit more rustic, however I love the stain either way! Great product!CraftyMom125

We recently purchased a house in October and ripped up all of the rugs. I’m one of the rooms the hard wood floors were in great condition underneath, just both to our color liking. After sanding them down we applied Minwax® Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner before staining them a different color. Minwax® Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner was extremely easy to work with and went on really easy. I just took a cheap white tshirt that I bought and and applied the Minwax® Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner with that. I have some old antique furniture that I picked up so I will definitely purchase Minwax® Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner again when I want to stain that.Tango

I purchased a few pieces of unfinished wood furniture as I wanted to create a more customized look for my home. I used the Minwax Water Based Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner as the first step in the process of finishing these furniture pieces. As the pieces were bare, I only did a light layer of initial sanding prior to applying this conditioner. I found using a cloth was the easiest way to apply the product, but be sure to stir! I used the same cloth to remove excess product after letting it absorb a bit. Another light layer of sanding, then it’s ready to apply your stain! While this step is easily overlooked, I feel applying this wood conditioner really did set a good stage for a uniform staining. I like that this product is easy to use and also doesn’t take too much time or product. I would definitely recommend!Oqie876

This was my first time using Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner for oil-based stains. It helps with blotchiness and evens out the color of your stain. Basically, it preps the wood for staining. Before using the product I sanded the wood I was going to stain. Then I made sure I removed all the sawdust. Next, I stirred the Pre-Stain to make sure it was mixed well. Now that the wood was ready, I grabbed a brush made for oil-based stains. At this point, make sure to go slow and steady covering the wood. Otherwise you will make a mess. You need to wait 5 to 15 minutes before wiping down the wood to remove the excess. The stain must be applied within 2 hours after using the Pre-Stain. I loved how smooth and even toned the stain left my project because of the Pre-Stain. Also, this product is made in the U.S.A. with global materials by The Minwax Company. #KeepOnFinishing #FinishedWithMinwax #Minwax #Reesetishas2cents #reesetisha #DIYProjects #ProductTester #HonestReviews @minwaxusa @reesetishareesetisha

Applied this with an applicator for floors, tried using a deck pad in the beginning but failed miserably. Floor applicator pad was much more forgiving. For a novice I would recommend using this product with knee pads and avoid using a pole. So much better control! Stained pretty dark, but I did three coats because deck pad screwed up my first attempt. Directions recommend two coats. Probably best to apply light coats to get the desired darkness. This one dries fast and is tacky within minutes. Good for smaller jobs.Fawn H

I bought this in Brandywine gloss on Amazon. I have engineered hardwood flooring (yes I know) but anyway I wanted to go darker since I had mix matched flooring by combining old with new plus they were pretty beat up. I scuffed sanded with 150 grit and applied this product with a synthetic pad. Not going to lie its a bit of a learning curb and I have a couple of darker areas from fixing bubbles but I love how my floors came out! I definitely would suggest additional coats of a tuff clear poly as I don't think the wood absorbs this like a regular stain and judging by other reviews. I used Minwax oil modified water based an addition and I could see the difference. Make sure you wait a lot longer then 2-3 hours in between coats and remember the more coats the darker you get I wouldn't do more then 2 coats I learned the hard way!!!!Wendy W

This product saves you an unbelievable amount of time. It's great for DIY beginners. Read the instructions carefully. You will need to prep your floors first by sanding them. You have to let the floors dry for about 2 hours but try not to let them dry a full 24 hours; otherwise you will need to sand again. The shade Gunstock wasn't an exact match but it wasn't too different from my actual floor color.PeachyJ

I do a lot of woodworking projects and love building furniture. I tend to use Minwax stains and varnishes to finish all of my projects. However, this is the first time I've had a chance to use a gel stain. I used this stain to finish a side table I've been working on and I opted for the Cherrywood color. I'm very pleased at how easy it was to apply – I just used a cloth to wipe it on. The wood took it up quite easily and I didn't get any blotching. I like that I didn't get any runs, so the color actually turned out to be more uniform than I usually get with a cloth application. The color is nice and rich and cleanup was very easy using a bit of olive oil and soap (or just use mineral spirits if you've got it handy). Overall, I'm very pleased with his gel stain from Minwax!KyleH

Minwax® Gel Stain is great! They have a wonderful tint selection. It is nice and thick so you can do just one coat. Goes on easily and evenly. Dries fairly quickly. The end result is great, very pretty and eye catching. Looks shiny and natural. Being gel, I am confident it will last longer too! Very happy with this product.Lorelei555

I used this on Poplar wood. The stain was of course easy to apply with a brush. It took well to the wood. I did not use a wood conditioner. Another coat would probably make it a deeper, richer red/brown. I liked that this stain didn't need a second coat or sanding between coats. I could see the color immediately and it was the said color right from the start. No waiting around to see how dark it would dry. I would suggest putting on a wood conditioner before the stain. As you can see in the photos, part of the wood stained darker than expected. A wood conditioner would help tone this down and look more uniform. There is a slight sheen after applied. The directions recommend adding a protective coat to it. A flat protective polyurethane would make a nice finished, look.Icewoz

I’m an hobbyist furniture restorer and this stuff is the worst stain I’ve used. On anything larger that a couple square inches it’s next to impossible to get it with an even color coat. The instructions say apply a thin coat in long strokes but the stain is so tacky that you have to either load up the brush or keep applying stain to the brush, not allowing you to get long strokes. Speaking of strokes. This stuff is also near impossible to apply with a brush. On a flat horizontal surface it’s manageable but on anything vertical or with joins it’s awful. I’ve been restoring an old dresser and I followed the instructions to the letter but it looks terrible. Every panel is a different color, getting the strokes out or bubbles out just ends up being an exercise in wiping off the old stain you just put on. This is seriously the worst stuff. If you have a small project. And you’re not too worried about a good finish. Go ahead. If you want a good finish on a large item. Don’t waste your money. It’s terrible.PolyshadesSuck

The paint department staff assured me this product would work for floors. Project was to restore the finish on my oak floors at the home entry. We stripped, sanded, vacuumed and tackey wiped the floors as directed, applied the polyshades and THEN looking for cleanup, came to the end of the paragraph that said NOT RECOMMENDED FOR FLOORS!!!! We expected to apply a 2nd coat, but how many would it take to make it durable enough to be useful? OR, what will work on top of it to make the floor durable enough to last a reasonable time? Product was easy to work with, but didn't realize it was to go on wood that is finished until too late. Hope you can help. Thanks.Shocked JAH

I bought the satin espresso to update a barn door and sofa table in our main living area. The sofa table was a pre finished oak with a light stain and followed the instructions and it came out beautifully. The barn door on the other hand has been a nightmare. Stripped all of the paint off and used pre-stain wood treatment as suggested and still turned out super blotchy. Some places look blood others flat and some satin. Used a quality brush the first time then sanded as recommended and used a staining pad because of the way the first application turned out. Neither did the job and probably going to end up just finding a paint for the door instead. Maybe it was the pine but it looks horrible.dcps650

I had a kitchen table that was a wood product that had gotten scratched. I read that a gel stain would cover. This one did! I lightly sanded the top, put on the gel stain and when it was dry used a coat of poly. It came out great! Very pleased and would recommend!Tine

Was sent a badly leaking bottle. Leaked so bad the top was flooded with the brown stain. Unable to return due to postal restrictions. Who would send a leaking bottle to a paying customer?—an irresponsible seller, that's who. Will not buy from seller again and will look elsewhere. Buyer beware.aretha

Stain did not perform in one coat as described, nor was it the color advertised to be. I can see why this product is so hard to find and dropped by so many storesmustard15

Excellent product! My husband has been refinishing 1980’s golden oak woodwork and cabinets and this product has been superb! Easy to use and professional results. Love the final result. Highly recommend.Bonnie P.

I previously used General Finishes Java Gel on a project with great results. I thought I would try a gel stain again for my current project and saw the Varathane product in HD. It is simply just horrible. It just sits on top of the wood. Literally. When I tried working it over the wood it left me with a scratchy effect where you can see hair like wisps of the wood underneath that aren't coloured at all. Where it does color, it is completely opaque like a paint, and you can't see any of the wood grain underneath. The General Finishes gel stains are thinner, and allow you to fully work it onto (technically not into) the wood and it gives a nice even color where you can still see some of the wood grain.Steve00

I bought this to use on floating shelves I made, thinking it perfectly matched our new flooring. I was just going off of the colour on the can. Way off. Our floors are a nice rich walnut colour with lots of highlights and lowlights, but nothing this dark. This stain looks like melted milk chocolate in the can but applies about as dark as fully roasted coffee beans. Is it really that hard to take an honest photo of the product and put that on the label? What's the point of even having an image for reference? Totally stupid, can't undo it, now what. Besides that, it's a fine stain product I guess. If you want to compare with something, I recommend asking a home depot staff to let you do a sample blotch on your material from a small can. Otherwise you're truly guessing and you're going to be wrong.customer

Great stain/sealer. It really is goof proof. I had a new fence installed from pressure treated wood. Waited 6 months for the fence to season/dry out from stacked wood. The wood just soaked this stuff up for penetration into the wood. I anticipate I won't have to do this again for 5 years.anonymous

Purchased a 12 year old cedar sided home out in the country last winter. Lot's of deferred or neglected areas on the acre. Appears the only time home had been stained was at construction. The Ready Seal was applied with both brush for tight areas while a lower cost wagner power sprayer finished up. The finished look is excellent. The weathered cedar siding soaked it up but the finished look is great. I cannot tell the difference where the power sprayed and brushed spots overlap.Crane

Five years ago, my wife and I built our floating deck, and we couldn't wait to stain it. We went with this product and could not be happier. We love it! The application is fast and easy. We re-stain our deck and stairs every spring and it lasts all season. We can't wait to use this for more house features, like shutters, front door, and more!Amber815

First things first, I love that there are so many color choices for this stain! It took me forever to decide betqeen a fun color or traditional stain, but in the end I went with Buckeye Brown. I also loved that it was low odor, so I could use it inside without irritating my mini pigs sensitive snout. Minwax has a great tutorial on how to use this product on their Youtube channel, and i highly recommend checking it out before starting your project. I unfortunately could not find the Pre Stain conditioner that is recommended, it was sold out at the 2 locations I went to, and I feel like my results would have been a little better if I had used this before the stain. This product IS thicker than I expected, and it is a bit messy, so just prepare your work area accordingly. I tested the stain on an extra piece of wood first so I knew how long to leave it on before wiping, and found that a minute and a half was just about right, and a synthetic pad worked better to wipe that a rag did. Overall the process took longer than I was anticipating, but it turned out pretty well. Seriously do yourself a favor and watch the YouTube video, it really did help me to better prepare my project. I will definitely be purchasing this product in different colors for other projects in the future, cant wait to try the fun colors next!Ginag

Bought this in Carbonite at Lowe's. The color on the top of the can matched the swatch so thought I was good to go. Went home and applied it PER THE INSTRUCTIONS on meticulously prepared wood. Tried it on an inconspicuous first thank God and let me assure you it in NO WAY looks anything like the photos Minwax is peddling online. It's just not a solid stain, at least this shade isn't. To achieve the color I expected per the pic on the website you would need MULTIPLE coats. I actually bought the solid version of this stain because the semi-transparent version was also complete garbage. I thought I just had some bad luck the first go round but no, the water based stains are an absolute waste of money. I'm out $30 if you count the semi-transparent can I bought too, and since Lowe's won't accept returns on tinted paints I came here to go full-on Karen. If I can't get a refund I can at least give a super duper honest review, which will achieve absolutely nothing buy it has made me feel a bit better so there's that.MinwaxKaren

The Minwax Water-Based Stain does a lovely job highlighting the wood grain in the item you are staining. First, before you purchase this product you have to pick the color of the stain that you want. I had 40 choices to choose from, out of this entire job picking the color was the hardest, soooo many colors to choose from. Colors like pink, blue, purple, pink, tea, blue, red, gray, etc. I believe there were 40 colors to choose from. I almost picked orange but saw the Pecan color and knew that was the one. Because it's a water-based stain it doesn't have a horrible smell. The Minwax label says that the stain is 5x thicker for easy application, which I can verify. We waited patiently to see the results after we applied the stain with a sponge brush. The two minutes went by pretty fast and we were able to wipe off the extra. The color is great and the stain really did bring out the wood grain. We did want to try it and wipe it off write away. The color was stunning only it didn't bring out the grain. My suggestion is to wait the two minutes. Seeing the wood grain just gives it a bit more richness to the color.Babshoun

I use the Minwax brand anytime I need an oil based stain. They give consistent results, are easy to apply and soak right in. It’s also very forgiving if liquid stain drips on the project or is applied on unevenly at first, it won’t blotch. When the excess is wiped off at the end, the color is even. A single coat is plenty for a lot of projects but I sometimes apply a second one to darken the final color. The latest color I’ve tried is the honey color. I’ve used it to stain pine wood rounds that will be made into decorative wall signs. The color was true to the reference shown on the can.LinceyP

Every once and a while I find myself trying to apply a stain to a piece while also trying to maintain some semblance of natural color. Minwax has a few offerings I have tried. One is the Natural 209 wood finish; this is an oil stain with a slight red base. No it won't turn the piece red, but it does tip that direction as opposed to yellow. Boiled Linseed Oil is the opposite, providing a natural look with a hint of a yellow base. But when working with Minwax's Tung oil, I have seen the best and most natural results on Maple, Sande, and Birch; both solid wood and plywood applications. If you love the look of your unfinished project, Minwax Tung Oil is the best way to finish without losing the natural charm.Jackoftrades

I am working on a few projects and I need an oil-based stain (Varnish). Therefore, I decided to pick up Minwax Wood Finish Penetrating Stain in Early American 230. By the way, Minwax has over 30 colors to choose from. Since it's an oil-based stain, the wood will have a sharper and deeper look along the wood grain. It is recommended to use the stain on bare wood after sanding and removing all sawdust. I sanded the wood I was going to stain and cleaned off the sawdust. Before using the stain I applied Minwax Pre-Stain to improve the appearance of the wood. I waited 15 minutes to wipe away any excess Pre-Stain left on the wood. Hint: Need a well ventilated area not in direct sunlight. I made sure to mix the stain well and grabbed my paint brush for oil-based stains. Hint: Use a smaller container to hold the stain while you work. When applying the stain, move at a slow but steady pace following the wood grain. Now, we wait 5 to 15 minutes before wiping off the excess stain with an old rag. In two hours the stain will be dry. The longer the stain stays on wood the darker it will get. I was elated to see the pieces of wood I worked on matched exactly as the color on the container. My project has the appearance of natural wood. Also, this product is made in the U.S. with global materials by The Minwax Company. #KeppOnFinishing #FinishedWithMinwax #Minwax #Reesetishas2cents #reesetisha #HonestReviewer #DIYProjects @minwaxusa @reesetishareesetisha

I use the Minwax brand anytime I need an oil based stain. They give consistent results, are easy to apply and soak right in. It’s also very forgiving if liquid stain drips on the project or is applied on unevenly at first, it won’t blotch. When the excess is wiped off at the end, the color is even. A single coat is plenty for a lot of projects but I sometimes apply a second one to darken the final color. The latest color I’ve tried is the honey color. I’ve used it to stain pine wood rounds that will be made into decorative wall signs. The color was true to the reference shown on the can.LinceyP

Every once and a while I find myself trying to apply a stain to a piece while also trying to maintain some semblance of natural color. Minwax has a few offerings I have tried. One is the Natural 209 wood finish; this is an oil stain with a slight red base. No it won't turn the piece red, but it does tip that direction as opposed to yellow. Boiled Linseed Oil is the opposite, providing a natural look with a hint of a yellow base. But when working with Minwax's Tung oil, I have seen the best and most natural results on Maple, Sande, and Birch; both solid wood and plywood applications. If you love the look of your unfinished project, Minwax Tung Oil is the best way to finish without losing the natural charm.Jackoftrades

I am working on a few projects and I need an oil-based stain (Varnish). Therefore, I decided to pick up Minwax Wood Finish Penetrating Stain in Early American 230. By the way, Minwax has over 30 colors to choose from. Since it's an oil-based stain, the wood will have a sharper and deeper look along the wood grain. It is recommended to use the stain on bare wood after sanding and removing all sawdust. I sanded the wood I was going to stain and cleaned off the sawdust. Before using the stain I applied Minwax Pre-Stain to improve the appearance of the wood. I waited 15 minutes to wipe away any excess Pre-Stain left on the wood. Hint: Need a well ventilated area not in direct sunlight. I made sure to mix the stain well and grabbed my paint brush for oil-based stains. Hint: Use a smaller container to hold the stain while you work. When applying the stain, move at a slow but steady pace following the wood grain. Now, we wait 5 to 15 minutes before wiping off the excess stain with an old rag. In two hours the stain will be dry. The longer the stain stays on wood the darker it will get. I was elated to see the pieces of wood I worked on matched exactly as the color on the container. My project has the appearance of natural wood. Also, this product is made in the U.S. with global materials by The Minwax Company. #KeppOnFinishing #FinishedWithMinwax #Minwax #Reesetishas2cents #reesetisha #HonestReviewer #DIYProjects @minwaxusa @reesetishareesetisha

We loved this product when it was still on the market for its rich effect on pine doors and molding. We had planned to do whole house in it but health issues stopped that. When we tried to have it continued the Minwax product we had purchased to plan on using was no longer viable and created orange and yellow patches on the wood. So we tried ordering some through internet outlets only to find it was also not even close to what original result was. Minwax stopped producing it years ago now so we are stuck trying to find a close replacement.dksemporium