POLYSHADE. 5PT ST AME CHE

Q: Can it be used on floors

I have wide pine floors with lots of grooves from years of dog wear. I applied the classic oak satin over the floors...1st coat over the damaged areas where the finish had worn off and second coat over all. It has held up well for 5 years...still with 3 45 to 50 pound dogs. There is now a very few small spots where the finish is wearing off that I have touched up. My pine floors look very old and have that rough rustic style that fits our colonial house perfectly.

Q: Can it be used over already stained wood? My cabinets need refreshing.

A: Yes it can. I used it on top of a cherry wood stain I did previously. Wanted to darken my cabinets to black. I lightly sanded the cabinets with sandpaper and applied one coat. I need to apply another coat so all surfaces are covered completely. But I love the results so far.

Q: There are mixed reviews. Should this product me used on finished steps to darken the color? If so what is the drying time?

I wouldn't recommend PolyShades for floors - especially high-traffic areas. I think you're better off with a standalone stain you can build color with followed by a clear poly to build the appropriate protection with (I used three coats on my dining room floor and it's held up pretty well for 10 years). I use PolyShades for things like non-floor woodworking and small musical instrument finishing repairs. Applying multiple coats of the lighter shades will add additional protection more than build darker color. Drying depends a lot on humidity and temperature but I like to give at least three hours per coat, with longer for the final coat. I'm not a pro flooring guy and they may disagree and know some tricks I don't, but that's been my experience.