Most natural looking satin finish on old red oak?
Allie G
4 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (7)
SJ McCarthy
4 years agoOak & Broad
4 years agoRelated Discussions
What finish(satin or eggshell) do most of you use on your walls?
Comments (25)LOL Ok depends on the house. In my alaska home I want reflective quality in the winter, so most straight painted walls and ceilings are in semi-gloss (shock and horror and yet it looks wonderful). Some walls are finished with varnish or shellac (even more shock and horror but they are the walls ya'll always compliment LOL) and others have a metallic finish. A few are finished with paste wax which when burnished is pretty glossy. Only my very deepest wall color in the basement is done in eggshell and that's because it gets too much light and was dang near glowing heh heh I'm also old fashioned so all trim is done in the highest gloss possible and I love that look. Now in the victorian, flat, matte whatever you call it for walls, though the ceilings will be in metallics most likely on the main floor. Trim paint is mostly being removed but the interim trim paint will be high gloss paint. I had a high gloss and then lacquered finish wall in one of my townhouses a few years ago. It was for art and it was stunning. The other walls in the room had to be semi so they didn't scream "different sheen" next to that long wall....See MoreMatte or Satin Finish on White Oak Floors
Comments (3)So your floors are ALREADY FINISHED in a HARDWAX OIL finish?????? And you now want to add POLYURETHANE? Oh dear. Let's pull that bus over for a minute. OK. Here we are. You have an oil finished floor that is looking dusty. It looks "dusty" because it is THIRSTY. It needs more oil. The maintenance oil that you purchased for the floor at the time it was finished (ahem....I'm making an assumption here) is what it needs. Oiled hardwoods can require multiple oilings a year (1-2 every year) until they take on a lovely patina that says "I'm happy and glowing with love,". If they look DUSTY it is because they haven't had their doses of oil. Their required oil maintenance is probably missing. If you wish to get away from the hardwax oil, this is going to take more than "a light sand". You are going to have to remove ALL THE WOOD that has soaked up the oil. This isn't a quick 'pass' with the sander and redo. Nope. This is taking this down by 4+ passes or more. It takes a LOT of effort to change an oiled floor to a polyurethane floor. Why? Because oil PREVENTS the poly from grabbing. All it takes is a SPECK of oil on a plank to cause adhesion failure. And if you see ONE SPOT with adhesion failure you MUST ASSUME you have other spots that will eventually let go. Please bring in a seasoned professional who works with BOTH oil finishes AND polyurethane finishes. They will know how much wood to take off (that includes all that lovely colour) and how to "eye ball" whether or not they will be able to successfully apply the poly - or if they need to shave off more wood. Please do not think this is easy. Converting these oiled floors can be done. But it is not a quick switch. This is a FULL SAND AND REFINISH. All the colour = gone. All the extra effort to sand WELL PAST the oil contamination = MORE MONEY to do this. An NWFA Certified Sand/Refinisher charges $4-$5/sf for a regular sand/refinish. This could come in at $6-$7/sf. And you only have a 3 year old floor. A full sand and refinish will remove 20 years from your floor's life. You 3 years with this finish is supposed to "last" 20 - 25 years before a full sand and refinish is 'needed'. Please look HARD at the options. Take the time to add the oil...and then keep adding until you feel the wood looks healthy and well oiled. That's how they are supposed to look. What is your oiling routine right now? How about your cleaning/repairing routine? What cleaners are you using? Touch-up colour/oil? When was the last time you did a full oil application (one room at a time is FINE...that's what these floors are known for)?...See Morerefinishing and mixing new red oak-natural or golden oak?
Comments (15)So, does this mean you have to have a new kitchen floor laid? The color looks good. In your first pictures, I preferred the lightest color, then the next lightest. I thought the dark one looked like a "wanna be walnut, but I'm oak". I have a prefinished oak flooring in natural that I have had for 10 years and I love it. Its by Mirage. I appreciate the light fresh look with my rooms. I had to have it reinstalled because the subcontracted installer banged up every nail insertion, because he must have had a damaged nailer. The owner of the flooring company came out the the flooring rep from Mirage, and they determined it was installation error. The finish was warrantied for something like 30 Years (can't remember the number) but with all the nicks, it wouldn't last. New install was great and the floor has been very good to me :) I'm getting it again soon in my bedroom, using a different installer company. All this to say I love my light flooring. It is fresh and can go modern or traditional, imho....See Morered and white oak natural finish-water or oil poly
Comments (4)The floors will look different with water based finish, since that rich warmth you like is the result of using oil based finishes. Water based finishes do not add the amber/rich tint. That results in a look that often looks washed out or bleached. It is actually the natural color of the finished wood with no added color, but people are so used to the added tint of oil based finishes, seeing an application without the amber tint looks different. You are correct in the fact water based finishes dry more quickly and do not smell as bad. The science of creating finishes have made water based finishes better and almost as serviceable as oil based finishes. Once oil based finishes completely cure(up to 30 days for area rugs) and 2-3 days to walk on, there should be no odor. I applied oil based floor poly on our floors and the smell was gone in three days. It was(is) nasty when applied/curing, but no odor after curing. Getting the rich color you like will be problematic when using water based finishes, since that tone would need to be created with a stain or dye. Not impossible, just difficult to find the exact recipe of colorants....See MoreJohnson Flooring Co Inc
4 years agoLyndee Lee
4 years agoAllie G
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoAllie G
4 years ago
Related Stories
EVENTSLook What Tile Can Do Now: 9 Versatile New Finishes
See exciting new stoneware looks from Italy’s big ceramic tile and bath show
Full StoryHOLIDAYSHoliday Decorating: Natural Looks From Down Under
Native greens and craftsy touches give an Australian stylist's home festive flair with an organic feel
Full StoryBUDGET DECORATINGBudget Decorator: 8 Ways to Make Old Furniture Look Brand New
Learn stripping, staining, painting and reupholstering basics to make bargain-basement furniture worthy of center stage at home
Full StoryHOUZZ TOURSHouzz Tour: A New Farmhouse Pulls Off an Old Look
A couple build their long-imagined Maine home from scratch by using classic New England thinking
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDESNature’s Color Wisdom: Lessons on Green From the Great Outdoors
Green will grow on you for interiors when you look outside for ideas on how to use it
Full StoryCOLORNature’s Color Wisdom: Lessons on White From the Great Outdoors
Blizzard fierce or butter soft, white can highlight shapes, unify a room and perform miracles on the cheap
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNSeeing Green: Some Kitchens Ditch White for Mother Nature’s Neutral
It’s typically the primary color in gardens. Now green is having a moment in the kitchen
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNKitchen of the Week: Modern Conveniences and a Timeless Look
A 1700s Pennsylvania kitchen is brought up to date, while custom cabinets and rustic finishes help preserve its old-time charm
Full StoryWOODWoodipedia: Make a Solid Choice With Oak
Forget those low-end products of old. Red and white oak today are beautiful, versatile and relatively inexpensive
Full StoryFLOORS10 Ways to Make the Most of Your Home’s Original Floors
Save yourself the cost of replacing your old floorboards with these tips for a new finish
Full Story
SJ McCarthy