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Has anyone stained an unfinished Brazilian Teak/Cumaru Floor?

11 years ago

I am struggling horribly with choosing hardwood floors for the new home my husband and I are building. I love a rich brown floor (perhaps with a hint of red undertone). I don't like a lot of grain, so originally I was leaning toward Brazilian cherry/walnut thought I don't like how much they darken over time. I was never opposed to a prefinished floor, but can't seem to find what I like - except in Brazilian cherry/walnut (also, those are very pricey). I have been in contact with a the vice president of sales at Brazilian Direct who advised me to get unfinished Brazilian Teak and have it site stained/finished. This all sounds great, but I can't find one person who has done this and not a picture anywhere online so I'm wondering if this is a big mistake and it wouldn't stain well. Anyone have expertise in this area? Please help!

Featured Answer

millworkman

4 years ago

"even an old thread is often useful as the same questions recur as new projects are started"

True, but products chnage over 7 tears and the advice may be completely different today.

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Comments (12)

User
11 years ago
A prefinished domestic maple would come a lot closer to meeting your expressed wants than a rainforest wood that is known for stability issues as well as a prominent grain. What is being suggested to you makes zero sense.
gregmills_gw
11 years ago
Ive never stained an exotic because of a few reasons.

One its extremely difficult.

Two. Your limited to what color you can go (black)

Most people who go with an exotic do so because they like the deep brown / red color.

Even if you do have a site finished exotic and you do stain it. It will go dark in time. Every wood darkens over time.
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Here's what you need to do. Send me your name and address and I'll send you a check for $600 for just 330 sqft of it...that's all I need for a deck. Seriously, keep it protected from the weather as you have done. Put it in the house when the time comes but it likely won't be climatized by the time you are laying it. The flooring contractor should test it and the subfloor with a moisture meter before installation. The moisture should be b/t 7% & 16% I believe and the flooring and subfloor s/b within 4% of one another. I just went through this using a different type wood and everything turned out fine. Some of mine had been in storage for several years. Seriously though, what type of auction did you find this at? I would love to use cumaru on our covered deck but I have only been able to find this in a good grade at $5+/sqft. What grade is yours?
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UV Cured factory finish is NOT UV "protection". It is simply the way they dried/hardened the finish (it means the finish is hard and dry inside a few seconds....not weeks). Normally (there are a few exceptions) the only UV "protection" you get is from the windows. And even overhead lighting throws UV. Ambient lighting (sunlight bouncing down a dark hallway) will also help things along. But then again, in a dark hallway, a "light" floor will still look "darker" than things in a well light area...so the colour variation is so minor (to the eye) that you won't even notice it.
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kbelcher
10 years ago
Did you go ahead and stain the teak floor? We are struggling with the same issue. Our flooring contractor says teak can be stained. Our builder recommends against it. He says teak is such a hard dense wood that it doesn't stain well. The flooring guy did a sample with dark staining and it looks great. However, will this stain scratch off over time? Even if it is coated with a good finishing protective coat?
jillbo0
10 years ago
We are considering the same flooring. Did you stain it or leave it natural and how do you like the finished product?
User
10 years ago
Several years ago we installed clear grade Cumaru in an area inside a hotel lobby. It stained quite well and made a beautiful floor.
I didn't take any pictures but you can see a bit of the floor here:
http://www.pgaresort.com/photo-gallery
Look under iBar. The first two pictures shows the Cumaru floor.
With Cumaru, the biggest issue for many is the wide range of color.
Did you look at the Sapele I recommended to you earlier?
User
10 years ago
Wow! I didn't realize how old this thread was.
Never mind.
Snigdhendu Snig
4 years ago
Thanks jfcwood for your comments, even an old thread is often useful as the same questions recur as new projects are started :)
HU-107547395
3 years ago
Can a Brazilian Teak floor be stained white? I like the White oak look now and was wondering if staining the Brazilian Teak floor would stain white nicely?
gregmills_gw
3 years ago
Staining anywood pure white comes with its own set of issues, teak will stain but i would suggest staining a sample but i would look into Nordicseal by Bona. 2 coats may achieve the look you want with a lot less of the
zeffk
3 years ago
Thanks for the info.
zeffk
3 years ago
Wish there was a pic online of a job had brazilian teak whitewashed.

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