I'm in the hunt for hardwood floors and trying to stay within a specific
price range. I have oak floors on my first floor and normally, would
stick with the same for the upstairs project. I ran across a few good
prices on maple floor but prefer a little darker in color. Is it safe to
assume I can stain maple to closely match the oak or basically stain to
any color I desire?
On Sunday, January 5, 2014 12:08:45 AM UTC-6, Leon wrote:
> Totally agree with a complimentary color. Noting looks worse than to
>
> try to match and miss.
NO KIDDING!
And worse, if you miss and then try to correct coloring on a stained piece...
99% of the time you will find yourself farther and farther into complete replacement.
Robert
On 1/4/2014 11:59 AM, [email protected] wrote:
> On Saturday, January 4, 2014 10:02:54 AM UTC-6, SBH wrote:
>> I'm in the hunt for hardwood floors and trying to stay within a specific
>>
>> price range. I have oak floors on my first floor and normally, would
>>
>> stick with the same for the upstairs project. I ran across a few good
>>
>> prices on maple floor but prefer a little darker in color. Is it safe to
>>
>> assume I can stain maple to closely match the oak or basically stain to
>>
>> any color I desire?
>
> Staining wood is staining wood is staining wood. Of course you can stain, dye or color it the way you want.
>
> You might want to consider a few things. First, the texture and appearance of oak and maple are quite different, and no matter how you stain it (unless it is and obscure chocolate brown or black) they will never match. Even then, in deep colors it will only match in color, not in texture. Maple is much finer in grain than oak as well, which can make it prone to a blotchy appearance when coloring.
>
> White oak is the norm for older oak floors, but red oak has a large market share these days as well. White oak is difficult to stain unless you have some experience doing so as it doesn't absorb stains well. Red oak is almost never stained as it can be a nightmare in appearance due to soft and hard areas all on one board that take coloring differently, leading to an unacceptable appearance. So red oak is usually clear sealed, the amber nature of sealers giving it a tint of color.
>
> The last thing to think about is the actual finish itself. If you existing floor is factory finished, the finish will be a complex formulation specifically designed for the flooring industry. It will be harder, thinner, and more color neutral than the material available to you. Usually they are developed to resist ambering as well.
>
> This means that the finish you put on today that is applied to match the existing floor color may not match in just a few years. The "over the counter" materials available are very hard and wear resistant (and in some cases better than an original factory finish) but react differently to light, wear and moisture than factory finishes. Your stain/finish work that matches color (not texture) today will probably look a great deal different in 5 years.
>
> If it were me, I would buy the maple if I liked it and color and finish it as a complimentary color rather than try to match it. That way when the finishes change, you won't notice.
>
> Just my 02.
>
> Robert
>
Totally agree with a complimentary color. Noting looks worse than to
try to match and miss.
On Sat, 4 Jan 2014 09:59:06 -0800 (PST), "[email protected]"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>On Saturday, January 4, 2014 10:02:54 AM UTC-6, SBH wrote:
>> I'm in the hunt for hardwood floors and trying to stay within a specific
>>
>> price range. I have oak floors on my first floor and normally, would
>>
>> stick with the same for the upstairs project. I ran across a few good
>>
>> prices on maple floor but prefer a little darker in color. Is it safe to
>>
>> assume I can stain maple to closely match the oak or basically stain to
>>
>> any color I desire?
>
>Staining wood is staining wood is staining wood. Of course you can stain, dye or color it the way you want.
>
>You might want to consider a few things. First, the texture and appearance of oak and maple are quite different, and no matter how you stain it (unless it is and obscure chocolate brown or black) they will never match. Even then, in deep colors it will only match in color, not in texture. Maple is much finer in grain than oak as well, which can make it prone to a blotchy appearance when coloring.
>
>White oak is the norm for older oak floors, but red oak has a large market share these days as well. White oak is difficult to stain unless you have some experience doing so as it doesn't absorb stains well. Red oak is almost never stained as it can be a nightmare in appearance due to soft and hard areas all on one board that take coloring differently, leading to an unacceptable appearance. So red oak is usually clear sealed, the amber nature of sealers giving it a tint of color.
>
>The last thing to think about is the actual finish itself. If you existing floor is factory finished, the finish will be a complex formulation specifically designed for the flooring industry. It will be harder, thinner, and more color neutral than the material available to you. Usually they are developed to resist ambering as well.
>
>This means that the finish you put on today that is applied to match the existing floor color may not match in just a few years. The "over the counter" materials available are very hard and wear resistant (and in some cases better than an original factory finish) but react differently to light, wear and moisture than factory finishes. Your stain/finish work that matches color (not texture) today will probably look a great deal different in 5 years.
>
>If it were me, I would buy the maple if I liked it and color and finish it as a complimentary color rather than try to match it. That way when the finishes change, you won't notice.
>
>Just my 02.
>
>Robert
I'd say buy prefinished oak or ash in the colour you want. Pay a bit
more up front and a lot less hassle later. I bought my ash flooring
from a local mill, prefinished, for less than it would have cost to
put in raw flooring, sand it, stain it, and finish it - even if I
didn't make a single mistake and end up not liking what I had done.
Ash is less expensive than oak and is VERY close in colour, grain, and
texture to white oak With the emerald ash borer decimating the ash
tree population there is a LOT of ash available on the market -
bringing the price down considerably.
On Saturday, January 4, 2014 10:02:54 AM UTC-6, SBH wrote:
> I'm in the hunt for hardwood floors and trying to stay within a specific=
=20
>=20
> price range. I have oak floors on my first floor and normally, would=20
>=20
> stick with the same for the upstairs project. I ran across a few good=20
>=20
> prices on maple floor but prefer a little darker in color. Is it safe to=
=20
>=20
> assume I can stain maple to closely match the oak or basically stain to=
=20
>=20
> any color I desire?
Staining wood is staining wood is staining wood. Of course you can stain, =
dye or color it the way you want.
You might want to consider a few things. First, the texture and appearance=
of oak and maple are quite different, and no matter how you stain it (unle=
ss it is and obscure chocolate brown or black) they will never match. Even=
then, in deep colors it will only match in color, not in texture. Maple i=
s much finer in grain than oak as well, which can make it prone to a blotch=
y appearance when coloring. =20
White oak is the norm for older oak floors, but red oak has a large market =
share these days as well. White oak is difficult to stain unless you have =
some experience doing so as it doesn't absorb stains well. Red oak is almo=
st never stained as it can be a nightmare in appearance due to soft and har=
d areas all on one board that take coloring differently, leading to an unac=
ceptable appearance. So red oak is usually clear sealed, the amber nature =
of sealers giving it a tint of color.
The last thing to think about is the actual finish itself. If you existing=
floor is factory finished, the finish will be a complex formulation specif=
ically designed for the flooring industry. It will be harder, thinner, and=
more color neutral than the material available to you. Usually they are d=
eveloped to resist ambering as well.
This means that the finish you put on today that is applied to match the ex=
isting floor color may not match in just a few years. The "over the counte=
r" materials available are very hard and wear resistant (and in some cases =
better than an original factory finish) but react differently to light, wea=
r and moisture than factory finishes. Your stain/finish work that matches =
color (not texture) today will probably look a great deal different in 5 ye=
ars.
If it were me, I would buy the maple if I liked it and color and finish it =
as a complimentary color rather than try to match it. That way when the fi=
nishes change, you won't notice.
Just my 02.
Robert
On Sun, 05 Jan 2014 17:01:14 -0500, Meanie <[email protected]>
wrote:
>On 1/5/2014 4:08 PM, [email protected] wrote:
>
>> When you are on 2 different floors a few shades difference is totally
>> un-noticeable. I'm AS U ming by first and second floor he means
>> first and second STORY - not 2 rooms (floors) on the same story.
>>
>> I might be wrong, but that's how it reads up here in snowy Ontario.
>>
>You are correct. Upstairs and downstairs.
Then a mismatch of a shade or two isn't even a consideration.. Put
ash upstairs.
On Sun, 05 Jan 2014 00:08:45 -0600, Leon <lcb11211@swbelldotnet>
wrote:
>On 1/4/2014 11:59 AM, [email protected] wrote:
>> On Saturday, January 4, 2014 10:02:54 AM UTC-6, SBH wrote:
>>> I'm in the hunt for hardwood floors and trying to stay within a specific
>>>
>>> price range. I have oak floors on my first floor and normally, would
>>>
>>> stick with the same for the upstairs project. I ran across a few good
>>>
>>> prices on maple floor but prefer a little darker in color. Is it safe to
>>>
>>> assume I can stain maple to closely match the oak or basically stain to
>>>
>>> any color I desire?
>>
>> Staining wood is staining wood is staining wood. Of course you can stain, dye or color it the way you want.
>>
>> You might want to consider a few things. First, the texture and appearance of oak and maple are quite different, and no matter how you stain it (unless it is and obscure chocolate brown or black) they will never match. Even then, in deep colors it will only match in color, not in texture. Maple is much finer in grain than oak as well, which can make it prone to a blotchy appearance when coloring.
>>
>> White oak is the norm for older oak floors, but red oak has a large market share these days as well. White oak is difficult to stain unless you have some experience doing so as it doesn't absorb stains well. Red oak is almost never stained as it can be a nightmare in appearance due to soft and hard areas all on one board that take coloring differently, leading to an unacceptable appearance. So red oak is usually clear sealed, the amber nature of sealers giving it a tint of color.
>>
>> The last thing to think about is the actual finish itself. If you existing floor is factory finished, the finish will be a complex formulation specifically designed for the flooring industry. It will be harder, thinner, and more color neutral than the material available to you. Usually they are developed to resist ambering as well.
>>
>> This means that the finish you put on today that is applied to match the existing floor color may not match in just a few years. The "over the counter" materials available are very hard and wear resistant (and in some cases better than an original factory finish) but react differently to light, wear and moisture than factory finishes. Your stain/finish work that matches color (not texture) today will probably look a great deal different in 5 years.
>>
>> If it were me, I would buy the maple if I liked it and color and finish it as a complimentary color rather than try to match it. That way when the finishes change, you won't notice.
>>
>> Just my 02.
>>
>> Robert
>>
>
>Totally agree with a complimentary color. Noting looks worse than to
>try to match and miss.
When you are on 2 different floors a few shades difference is totally
un-noticeable. I'm AS U ming by first and second floor he means
first and second STORY - not 2 rooms (floors) on the same story.
I might be wrong, but that's how it reads up here in snowy Ontario.
On 1/4/2014 12:59 PM, [email protected] wrote:
>
> Staining wood is staining wood is staining wood. Of course you can stain, dye or color it the way you want.
>
> You might want to consider a few things. First, the texture and appearance of oak and maple are quite different, and no matter how you stain it (unless it is and obscure chocolate brown or black) they will never match. Even then, in deep colors it will only match in color, not in texture. Maple is much finer in grain than oak as well, which can make it prone to a blotchy appearance when coloring.
>
> White oak is the norm for older oak floors, but red oak has a large market share these days as well. White oak is difficult to stain unless you have some experience doing so as it doesn't absorb stains well. Red oak is almost never stained as it can be a nightmare in appearance due to soft and hard areas all on one board that take coloring differently, leading to an unacceptable appearance. So red oak is usually clear sealed, the amber nature of sealers giving it a tint of color.
>
> The last thing to think about is the actual finish itself. If you existing floor is factory finished, the finish will be a complex formulation specifically designed for the flooring industry. It will be harder, thinner, and more color neutral than the material available to you. Usually they are developed to resist ambering as well.
>
> This means that the finish you put on today that is applied to match the existing floor color may not match in just a few years. The "over the counter" materials available are very hard and wear resistant (and in some cases better than an original factory finish) but react differently to light, wear and moisture than factory finishes. Your stain/finish work that matches color (not texture) today will probably look a great deal different in 5 years.
>
> If it were me, I would buy the maple if I liked it and color and finish it as a complimentary color rather than try to match it. That way when the finishes change, you won't notice.
>
> Just my 02.
>
> Robert
>
Excellent advice. Thank you
On 1/4/2014 1:27 PM, [email protected] wrote:
> On Sat, 4 Jan 2014 09:59:06 -0800 (PST), "[email protected]"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On Saturday, January 4, 2014 10:02:54 AM UTC-6, SBH wrote:
>>> I'm in the hunt for hardwood floors and trying to stay within a specific
>>>
>>> price range. I have oak floors on my first floor and normally, would
>>>
>>> stick with the same for the upstairs project. I ran across a few good
>>>
>>> prices on maple floor but prefer a little darker in color. Is it safe to
>>>
>>> assume I can stain maple to closely match the oak or basically stain to
>>>
>>> any color I desire?
>>
>> Staining wood is staining wood is staining wood. Of course you can stain, dye or color it the way you want.
>>
>> You might want to consider a few things. First, the texture and appearance of oak and maple are quite different, and no matter how you stain it (unless it is and obscure chocolate brown or black) they will never match. Even then, in deep colors it will only match in color, not in texture. Maple is much finer in grain than oak as well, which can make it prone to a blotchy appearance when coloring.
>>
>> White oak is the norm for older oak floors, but red oak has a large market share these days as well. White oak is difficult to stain unless you have some experience doing so as it doesn't absorb stains well. Red oak is almost never stained as it can be a nightmare in appearance due to soft and hard areas all on one board that take coloring differently, leading to an unacceptable appearance. So red oak is usually clear sealed, the amber nature of sealers giving it a tint of color.
>>
>> The last thing to think about is the actual finish itself. If you existing floor is factory finished, the finish will be a complex formulation specifically designed for the flooring industry. It will be harder, thinner, and more color neutral than the material available to you. Usually they are developed to resist ambering as well.
>>
>> This means that the finish you put on today that is applied to match the existing floor color may not match in just a few years. The "over the counter" materials available are very hard and wear resistant (and in some cases better than an original factory finish) but react differently to light, wear and moisture than factory finishes. Your stain/finish work that matches color (not texture) today will probably look a great deal different in 5 years.
>>
>> If it were me, I would buy the maple if I liked it and color and finish it as a complimentary color rather than try to match it. That way when the finishes change, you won't notice.
>>
>> Just my 02.
>>
>> Robert
> I'd say buy prefinished oak or ash in the colour you want. Pay a bit
> more up front and a lot less hassle later. I bought my ash flooring
> from a local mill, prefinished, for less than it would have cost to
> put in raw flooring, sand it, stain it, and finish it - even if I
> didn't make a single mistake and end up not liking what I had done.
>
> Ash is less expensive than oak and is VERY close in colour, grain, and
> texture to white oak With the emerald ash borer decimating the ash
> tree population there is a LOT of ash available on the market -
> bringing the price down considerably.
>
Will definitely take that into consideration.
Thank you
On 1/5/2014 4:08 PM, [email protected] wrote:
> When you are on 2 different floors a few shades difference is totally
> un-noticeable. I'm AS U ming by first and second floor he means
> first and second STORY - not 2 rooms (floors) on the same story.
>
> I might be wrong, but that's how it reads up here in snowy Ontario.
>
You are correct. Upstairs and downstairs.
On 1/4/2014 8:02 AM, Meanie wrote:
> I'm in the hunt for hardwood floors and trying to stay within a specific
> price range. I have oak floors on my first floor and normally, would
> stick with the same for the upstairs project. I ran across a few good
> prices on maple floor but prefer a little darker in color. Is it safe to
> assume I can stain maple to closely match the oak or basically stain to
> any color I desire?
Given that you can buy engineered flooring now for a decent price,
I'm not sure I would jump on a major flooring project.
You can buy "finished" flooring for under $4.00sq ft and it will
have a finish that is far exceeds anything you could do your self.
Consider some of the new "plank" flooring that is 9/16" and made of
several layers of wood and topped out with what ever finish and color
you could ever want.
http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/products/hardwood/engineered/_/N-67oZ6wl
You can staple,nail,glue and snap together many different brands.