Hardwood floor staining & finishes in Queens

Stains, finishes & polyurethane in Queens: what to expect

Queens floors range from Tudor houses in Forest Hills to co-op apartments in Jackson Heights and two-family houses across the borough. We test stain on your own boards before choosing a color. We plan floor staining for homes in Astoria, Forest Hills, Flushing, Jackson Heights, Ridgewood, Jamaica and Rockaway Beach. Our Queens flooring page covers what else we do in Queens besides floor staining.

What Queens floors are made of

Older Queens houses and garden co-ops often have oak strip or block parquet, sometimes with a walnut or mahogany border at the walls. Two-family houses from the postwar decades usually have red oak strip on the main floors, and some have newer boards where rooms were reworked. Parquet shows stain differently from strip because the grain runs in several directions, so a color that looks even on straight boards can look busier on blocks.

Stain choices for owner-occupied and rental floors

Owners living on one floor of a two-family house often choose different colors for their own unit and the rental. In the owner unit, the choice follows the furniture and cabinets. In the rental, most landlords prefer a medium neutral in satin, because it hides dust and daily wear between tenants and suits any furniture a new tenant brings. We can stain both floors in the same visit, one after the other, if the schedule allows.

Borders and inlays

Co-op and building rules

Jackson Heights, Forest Hills and Kew Gardens co-ops often have rules about hours, noise and finish types. Water-based finishes are usually preferred because the odor is low and halls stay pleasant for neighbors. We provide the paperwork the managing agent needs and plan drying time so the apartment is walkable in stages. See our main wood stain and finishes page and refinishing in Queens.

When a floor was stained before

Many Queens floors already carry a stain from an earlier refinish, sometimes a dark or orange tone that owners want gone. Sanding removes most of it, but stain can sit deep in open grain or in the joints of parquet. We sand a test area first to see how much of the old color comes out, and tell you honestly whether a much lighter result is realistic on your floor.

Charts we work from in Queens

In Queens we start with the Bona DriFast and Minwax Wood Finish stain charts, which helps two-family owners compare options for the owner floor and the rental floor side by side. Over the stain goes water-based or oil-based polyurethane, and co-op rules in buildings around the borough often settle that choice in favor of water-based.

Photos from our work

No Queens staining job is posted yet, so these gallery examples are captioned by type of work only. Full gallery →

What affects the cost

The area to be stained and the finish system over it, including sheen, are the main factors on a stain job. Stairs, landings and any repairs found once the old floor comes up can add to the scope. To see where your project lands, get an instant preliminary estimate.