Don't forget that it also depends on the type of wood you have...some take stain better than others...I have red oak... I decided to do English Chestnut. In theory I love a dark floor but I worried about dust and maintenance and scratches showing. Another BIG factor was that I always do very dark funiture...so I wanted some contrast....The color did come out a little lighter than I thought, but I definitely don't think it's red bc I hate reddish floors...I'd say it's a nice medium, neutral tone...the dark tones really work well with the dark furniture. Here are some pix: This is when we first moved in...with our temporary old loveseat and rug, etc..it looks pathetic LOL..but it shows the floor with natural light which is how it usually looks...oh, it's a satin finish top coat

YEA!!! We're keeping the floors!!! I could have KISSED John, our floor guy!!!! He just took a walk through the gutted kitchen and neighboring rooms and decided that all of it (except for the living room, which is quartersawn oak on a diagonal) is southern yellow heartpine!! He said it's terribly hard to get these days without any knots--his best resource is a place down in Virginia that takes reclaimed wood like this out of old factories. Works out to be about $7 or $8 per square foot. We need a "new" section where one wall is being torn out of about 6' X 2', and he wants me to see what I can do about finding some. He said the stuff from the factories down south is good, but it does have more "character"--aka, knots--than what we currently have. Caroline--where did you say you got your reclaimed wood?? I don't need much in this case and would love to find some of this era that would "match" pretty well! I guess our dining room (second picture down) had been stained a darker color and then treated with some chemical varnish stuff back in the 70's or 80's--probably the previous owners DIY project, he suspects. That's why some of us were thinking it was fir--but he said it most definitely is not. I'm just excited because I finally know what everything is in the house and can have some continuity of color/appearance when these floors are done. We may (or may not, depending on price) have the dining room done at the same time as the kitchen, simply because they run into each other and there would be a really severe break where one stops and the other begins. Gotta go finish pulling my last two pieces of plywood with staples...I'm on the home stretch!! Now I'm just torn between finishes--originally I wanted tung oil, DH wants basketball-court like polyurethane, and now I'm leaning towards Waterlox as a compromise. John is willing to do any of the above, and actually thinks Waterlox would fit the house the best. Opinions?? I will absolutely post pictures throughout the whole process if anyone's interested. Thanks for everyone's help, suggestions, and support!!! :) Sarah

When it comes to hardwood, trends are something to ignore! Why? Because hardwood is pretty much a lifetime purchase, and unless yours is damaged in some way, you're probably not going to replace it. So, light wood vs. dark wood, wide planks vs. narrow planks -- that stuff's all going to come and go. With that in mind -- as well as the very real concerns about cleaning dark wood -- I'll vote for a nice, neutral midtone every time. Not too much contrast, not too red, and (unless it's a beach house) not too pale. I think this is the wood that's most likely to give you good service and stand the test of time.

My concern is the layers of vinyl underneath the hardwood. Hardwood doesn't like sitting on vinyl and vinyl doesn't like sitting on hardwood. The two do NOT like each other. If you think this is a good idea (which it is considered on the technical side of things a horrible approach to this) then you might have to add another layer of subfloor. A nice, fat, thick 1/2" plywood to cover those two layers of vinyl. Now you can go ahead and lay the hardwood. Technically, my suggestion is hideous. It is atrocious. It is so "unprofessional" that I could weep. But if you insist on leaving the vinyl in place, then you need to think of a way to separate the vinyl from the hardwood sitting on top....and one very sure way is with plywood. Again, my suggestion is a travesty. Then again so is laying hardwood over two layers of vinyl. In the flooring world, we 'allow' ONE layer of resistant flooring (like vinyl) to sit underneath another floor. For example: the first layer of vinyl was considered "OK" to lay another layer of vinyl over top. All good. No one in the technical department batted an eye. If a THIRD vinyl floor was proposed (or a laminate, or linoleum, or cork, or hardwood, or tile, or even carpet) it would be a "NOOOOOOOO! STOOOOOP! DON'T DO IT!" type of answer. So I will officially say: No. Stop. Don't do it. There. It has been said. That being said, if you as the homeowner choose to forgo the installation instructions and the "Best Practices" as set out by the National Wood Flooring Association (as homeowners your word is "law" when it comes to things like this), you are welcome to go ahead and lay hardwood over two layers of vinyl. If you do it, I suggest a new layer of plywood to help things along - because you need FLAT. And most "old hardwoods with two layers of vinyl sitting on them" are anything but flat. Good luck. You would be better off remediating the asbestos/vinyl and getting down to bare hardwood. Now a new floor (with the help of a layer of plywood) can go down. Or you remove the original hardwood with the vinyl (this is easier to do than scrape off the vinyl...and easier = cheaper) and start with a new layer of subfloor and go after it like it should be done. But as homeowner your word is "law". If you tell a professional to "just do it", they will say "yes ma'am/sir" and do it. But they will not warranty their work. You will be left holding the bag - and all the pit vipers that lay inside. It's your call.