Bleaching will remove the red color from red oak and then you can introduce the color you're after...after that. However...wood bleach is highly caustic and very dangerous to use; utmost care must be maintained during its use...I cannot stress that more. Also...'some' professionals would be able to give you what you want...your DIY attempt will be successful only if you test and develop your skill on test boards before you actually attempt to work your floor and apply your chosen finish materials. Good luck.

First of all, when you sand a floor you are resurfacing the wood to receive new finishing products. The sanding process removes old finish and minor damage (dents, scratches) and removes some of the wood that has been oxidized (aged). There is no such thing as a 'gentle' or 'light' sanding. Second, you need to know what you want to finish the floors with to get the look you're after. This can range from a film-forming finishes (waterborne or oilbase) to the tung oil type that supposedly harden (fortify) a very thin layer on the surface and provide a cleanable, repairable result. Third, each finishing product will impart a 'look' all by itself. A floor finisher will stain the floor and use the finish that will come close to the color and look you want as a final result. Yes, even pine can be stained...although it is very difficult to do and to not have the blotchiness your contractor said would happen. I have had great success staining pine with BonaKemi DryFast Stains. The darker you go the more likely that the floor will blotch. The finer you sand pine or any other wood the less likely blotching will occur, but finer sanding also reduces the amount of pigment that the wood will hold...resulting in possibly a lighter than desired final result. Fourth, you can add tints to finish to bring down the brightness some, but that can result in a floor that looks like it was finished with Minwax Polyshades (not a good look). What did the contractor use as a sealer before the coat of 'poly'...or was a sealer skipped?

Hello! I realize this thread is 11 years old, but your floors turned out beautifully, and I am curious how they've held up. Did the Waterlox yellow? Do you love it still? I'm looking at a remodel, and have never loved poly floors, and the fact you can repair small sections with the Waterlox is really appealing. I will continue to do more research, but I thought I'd reach out and see if you still were happy. Thanks!

Hi guys! Just a little update that I'm very happy about! The wood stain arrived today (the sanding paper and top coat haven't yet, but should by the end of this week). I had just about enough sanding paper to really sand one of the drawers to perfection so I did a test on it with the stain... and the colour I picked is really close to the original! It's still a tiny bit more orangey, but overall I'm super pleased. I took the pictures 20min after painting so I don't think it's completely settled yet, and it still needs that matte clear water based topcoat, so it's not the final colour/finish yet. Just very happy I haven't ruined this piece and will be able to restore it to my liking :) Sanded, new stain, original (it looks more orange on the picture.. in real life it's almost indistinguisable)