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Staining red oak cabinet trim to match white oak.

15 years ago

Hi,

I'm having some trim, a drawer, and two small panels added to existing 10 year old white oak cabinets in my home. I stained and added a set of white oak cabinets to them five years ago without any problem matching the stain. This contractor used red oak without telling me and when I discovered the difference he told me he couldn't get white oak anymore. Does anyone have any suggestions how to lighten the red in red oak?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

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Comments (2)

ccoombs1
15 years ago
He can't get white oak anymore?? What a load of crap. White oak is VERY commonly available, it just costs a little more. You can't lighten the red in red oak and make it match white oak. the only way to make them match is to stain them both darker. I'd make him re-do them in the proper wood or get someone else who CAN get white oak. Have you paid him yet? I hope not.
teppy
15 years ago
yeah, i don't think you can make red oak look like white oak. i have several french antique pieces in european red oak. it is very dark, and i love it. i bought some antique chairs recently to go with a red oak table. i thought they were dark too, but they are in white oak. i believe that i can make the white oak chairs darker, but vise versa is another story.

i would definitely make him redo those cabs in the wood that you chose. he should not have changed that without your permission. i hate it when i pay someone for a product/service and they just take it upon themselves to do what they want to do. my poolbuilder moved my pool about a foot and a half without telling me. i noticed it was not lined up with a planter after it was built and he admitted that he had done this. i guess its too late to make him fill that pool in and re-dig another one a foot and a half over. but, i would consider cabinets a different story. make him do it over.
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