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Cleaning Tips Flooring Design Dilemma

do you like your Duraseal dark walnut floors?

4 years ago

I am a new 1st time home owner to a small late 29th century home. I am having new white oak floors put in on one floor and having the red oak floors refinished on the top floor. After much dilemma I finally picked dark walnut for the stain. When I told my wood installer he warned me that dark floors are very vary hard to maintain and show every little slit, dust, and water marks and he has a lot of people coming back to hom complaining about this. I was wondering if anyone has had similar floors for a few years and can report back on if they were happy with their choice. Or if you don't recommend it do you have another stain recommendation? I am trying to stay away from as much, orange, yellow, and red tones as possible. The walls are a light gray with white trim. The floors will be finished in satin and Bono sealed. Thanks in advance.

Featured Answer

SJ McCarthy

4 years ago

If you like dark and dramatic floors (and a dark home that needs ++ lighting) then go for it. Remember: dark floors = dark home. If you have HUGE amounts of windows and HUGE amounts of lighting (house is already lit like an art gallery) then dark floors won't have much of an impact.

Yes dark floors SHOW the dust and the dirt (just as Patricia points out). The dust/dirt will be there whether or not can SEE IT is another matter. A natural coloured floor HIDES the dust that is there.

Again, this comes down to PERSONALITY traits and likes rather than 'harder to keep clean'. They are just as easy to clean. The difference being harder to keep LOOKING clean. Yes dust can settle inside of an hour...making you feel like you haven't done a darn thing (even though you just swiffered).

I like Bona Traffic HD for the finish. It is tough as nails and will not yellow or amber. The finish is what causes 'orange'. The water based stuff like Bona Traffic HD will not turn the orange tones you are trying to avoid.

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Comments (11)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
4 years ago
I love dark floors , so they show the dust no matter what color the floors the dust is still there. I had reallt dark floors in out old house with two very hairy big dogs so I swiffered once a day between vacuuming , took all of ten minutes . Get what you love you will find a way to look after it. Kind of like people who don’t like glass tables because they need cleaning, all tables need cleaning .
btydrvn
4 years ago
Some of us dont mind being a slave to our design choices and some of us want a more care free relaxing setting..just decide which you are...but i would not disregard the advice from who installs floors everday...and if you have a tendency to be bothered by little imperfections this advice should be heeded...
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I completely thought about Jacobean, but not sure in the end if I tried it alone. Mine are Dark Walnut on the red oak. Dark Walnut doesn't have red, that's the wood. They say that Jacobean that has "green" counteracts the red. Dark Walnut is likely a warmer color than the Jacobean. I would likely have been very happy with the Jacobean as well.
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Susan T
Original Author
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Thanks everyone for you help! We ended up going with the dark walnut color and love it!!
Susan T
Original Author
4 years ago
PRO
Footprints Floors | McKinney
4 years ago
looks good, Matt or satin?
btydrvn
4 years ago
Those pictures are a good example of why you should not rely on pictures on the internet...for color...they look really different !....
Susan T
Original Author
3 years ago
They were finished with satin.

I know every picture I take of them look so different. In person they are on the dark side and no red or yellow undertones which shows up in some picutres.
cdnmiss
2 years ago
A year later are you regretting the dark? They look beautiful by the way.
benny213
last year
Hi Susan, we are about to put dark walnut on our white oak floors too. did you use a bona sealer (intense seal) and traffic Hd? We are getting confused about what layers need to go over duraseal and know we would like to use traffic hd. thank you!
Kate
last year
I have ebony floors and love how they look. Yes they show more dust and dirt than perhaps a light floor, but not a problem for me since I prefer clean floors wether I can see it or not.

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