Vaulted White Oak ceiling: to stain or not to stain?!
23heather
3 years ago
We have red oak floors and a newly vaulted white oak ceiling. Help with stains needed! Thank you
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PROJAN MOYER
3 years agolast modified: 3 years ago
btydrvn
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Red Oak vs White oak - natural or stained
Comments (7)I like White Oak better than Red. It works better with a certain color pallette and is less grainy when stained. I have natural color White Oak in my master bedroom. Traditionally flooring here was White Oak when stained, Red Oak when natural, but that's going quite a long way back. Two things to consider. 1) The floor in the pictures looks almost certain to be #1 Common grade. White Oak will have some substantial color variations, especially in a grade lower than Select. 2) $1.00 per square foot additional for staining sounds like a lot. We charge $0.30 per square foot to go from natural to a standard stain. It takes a bit more time to make sure you've sanded out the small scratches that typically wouldn't show up on a natural floor, but you're not adding an extra coat. You're simply applying stain instead of clear for the first coat. I could see if it was a small area and might require lots of samples but not 2000'. Maybe he's charging for the stain as a separate added operation and still applying the same number of surface coats. Or possibly he uses a better (ie more costly) crew to do the stain jobs. Or maybe I'm not charging enough!...See MoreRed Oak or White Oak? Stain color??
Comments (14)Like jfcwood states - the FINAL colour is the true test as to whether the experiment "worked". The other problem contractors have would be the use of oil based or oil modified finishes. It is impossible to get a white floor when the top coats turn ORANGE! I once had a "professional" (15 years in the refinishing business) tell me he worked with "water based" finishes all the time. He then named every SINGLE oil based product on his shelf. It turns out he thought that anything that was liquid - like water - was water based. He couldn't name a water based finish if it jumped up and slapped him with a lawsuit! The "old guard" are having a hard time adjusting to the "new" thinking. The Low VOC stuff, the 'non ambering' stuff, the low-odour products are relatively new (to North America...they are de rigueur in Europe) and are different to use. They require training. Training is no big deal in Europe. You have to do it to keep your license. North America is still the wild-wild west. If you have a sanding machine, you can call yourself a floor refinisher (sad...but true). Add that to the fact that red oak is cheaper than white oak and the trend is white flooring, you get a powerful mixture of fashion together with lack of knowledge and a healthy dose of "cheaper is better". A whole bunch of hearts have and will continue to be broken - on both sides of the professional-client fence. My advice: If you want the look of European Oak, then you should start with European Oak. If you are lucky enough to like the reddish tones of Red Oak, then go ahead and work with Red Oak; count your blessings and the money left in your bank account....See Morewhite oak and red oak floor next to each other stain help
Comments (5)I don't think you will be able to get that light look consistently with red and white oak. You probably need to go with a medium neutral stain on all floors, one that has green tones in it. Green is the complement to red/pink, and mixing complementary colors neutralizes them. I've had success with Special Walnut stain throughout my home. The floors in the original (1920s) part of the home are oak, not sure if red or white. The new white oak floors in the kitchen were installed in 2014; all are stained special walnut. Here is a photo of the transition area between dining room (above the saddle) and kitchen (below the saddle). The color is not too dark and not too light. Depending on the light it can look warmer or cooler. It's my "go-to" color for me and my clients for many years....See MoreStaining White Oak Ceiling
Comments (2)Anything you put on it will change color - even if only slightly. As it ages it will change color. Even a supposedly non-yellowing poly finish will yellow/darken it a teench but of course not so much as anything thats oil based.. You could experiment with some kind of custom mix translucent stain using white/gray pigments to keep it lighter/ not so yellow ... as above poster indicates test samples are essential!!!! Or just embrace a natural look with flat finish only that will age over time... white oak is an expensive, beautiful wood, so why not design room with it in its full natural glory? What does your finisher think?...See Morebtydrvn
3 years ago23heather
3 years agoThank you! I tried a sample of Bona HD and it turned a bit yellow. I love the raw white look best, so was thinking Bona Clear? Looked at Rubio, too. I would love any advice regarding red oak floor, too. I tried Duraseal samples of a mix of weathered oak with fruitwood and weathered oak mixed with neutral. Both are a bit light.
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