oak or maple floors?
20longwoodroad
6 years ago
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Comments (25)
grapefruit1_ar
6 years ago20longwoodroad
6 years agoRelated Discussions
quarter sawn white oak vs. maple floors
Comments (1)Ive refinished hardwood floors for over 10 years. And while both maple and white oak have differences its mostly down to color that seperates them. Maple is "harder" based off the Janka rating system used by industry. But dont be fool all wood will dent if something is dropped. But back to color. Yes maple is lighter in natural tone but doesnt accept staining well. It can be done and look good but not as evenly as oak does. Oak is of course darker and also has thicker grains then maple. If you are going natural with the finish i personally like white oak over maple. Maple tends to become too orange as the floor ambers over time....See MoreUsing reclaimed Douglas Fir flooring
Comments (5)I can't speak to its uses for flooring, but I do have a dining room table made of reclaimed Douglas fir. I wouldn't describe it as at all orangey. As I remember, we had our choice of stains--what we chose is a medium dark brown, rather like a walnut color. The wood is a bit soft--probably not as soft as pine, but softer than oak or maple. So if dings would bother you, you should probably take that into account (though reclaimed wood will have lots of imperfections anyway--to me that is part of the charm!)...See MoreHelp! Red Oak Floors & Loba 2k Invisible- stain problems :/
Comments (9)I have to agree that these were preexisting but almost invisible because of the sanding. The top pic looks like "old finish" was left in place. Considering how thin your boards are and how old they are, this is not unexpected. And to be clear, old floors can have 80 years worth of contamination (ie. wax, shoe polish, Pledge, Murphy's Oil soap, soap, hairspray, hair dye, etc) on them. These products can, and will, get past the original finish and contaminate the wood. Just like old urine stains pushing all the way through a board (the dark gray stain is most like an old urine stain...cause that's what they look like after many years), these contaminants can go several millimeters into the wood. Especially things like cooking oil, Murphy's Oil soap (anything oil based really) or even melted wax from a candle. After sanding, you wouldn't have 'seen' these things. But a quick swish of a slightly damp mop (make it wet to give some depth of colour) and all of these things would have been evident within moments of the water touching the wood. And that's why you can see them now. The clear coat is like water hitting the wood. It gives the colours depth...and definition. But unlike water, the finish is permanent. At this point, I would keep going with your plan = 2 more coats of Loba 2K Invisible. And You will want to hurry. To get a good 'stick' the next coat should be put down within 24 hours of the previous...or else the flooring guy has to abrade the floor again to get a mechanical grip rather than a chemical stick. Keep going. Know that you are getting 20 years more out of these floors that probably should have given up the ghost 20 years ago. That means you are extending the life by 40 years. For an old hardwood floor, that's impressive....See MoreMaple Flooring Stain?
Comments (13)If you want to stay away from maple's tendency to yellow when exposed to light (it is the wood that changes...not just the finish) you can work with Loba 2K Supra AT (super tough finish) and use Loba's UVProtect that is SPECIFICALLY designed to stop MAPLE from turning YELLOW in sunlight (or any light). Will a flooring company that works mainly with prefinished floors know how to do this? Probably not. You must specify (in the contract) that ONLY a REFINISHING professional will be working on your floors (not some 'guy' who knows how to work a nail gun). And that you need to specify your finish request (ie. using a UV protectant that specifically stops maple from yellowing). Or you could simply find an NWFA Certified Flooring Refinisher and relax. Ask them to use Loba UV Protect and a Loba 'clear' coat finish (I prefer the 2K Supra AT because of the durability and the FEEL underfoot). Of course, the more specific you get in the contract, the more the project will cost you. And yes light gray is tough on maple. Maple does MUCH better with DARKER stains (can't see blotches if the colour is so dark you can't tell what wood is underneath). Lighter stains can work. There are some refinishers who can get maple to work with a MIDTONE stain. A LIGHT GRAY (ie. almost lighter than the wood itself) is going to be tough. Just be prepared to pay 1.5 times MORE than an average wood flooring refinish (average cost = $5/sf). So long as you are willing to pay for the TOP professionals (NWFA Certified Flooring Professional) and the top products on the market (Loba 2K Supra AT = $190/gallon) then you should be fine. www.nwfa.org use the link to find your nearest professional....See Moresonni1
6 years agoSJ McCarthy
6 years agoafcgirl
6 years agoMysha's Flooring Company
6 years agolittlebug zone 5 Missouri
6 years agoPatricia Colwell Consulting
6 years agotandem42
6 years ago20longwoodroad
6 years agocpartist
6 years agochiflipper
6 years ago20longwoodroad
6 years agochiflipper
6 years ago20longwoodroad
6 years agoafcgirl
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago20longwoodroad
6 years ago20longwoodroad
6 years agoafcgirl
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agochiflipper
6 years agoMysha's Flooring Company
6 years agosxp245
6 years ago20longwoodroad
6 years agoCustom & Curated Shop by Storm Interiors
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
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