skip to main content

Flooring Design Dilemma

How do I fix over-bleached red oak floors?!

2 years ago

My contractor refinished my floors in a natural wood tone with Loba 2K AT, but there are uneven areas as he said some of the repaired wood wood not look the same and wanted to bleach them a bit. He also said the step had unexposed tread so it would be more pink if he did not bleach. I’m concerned about the finished product as I have about 3 different finishes now. Please help!

Featured Answer

PRO

G & S Floor Service

2 years ago

Bleach all or bleach none. Never spot bleach.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

User
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
I'm no woodworker, but I recently had to bleach a big black water mark out of my wood floors so I became very familiar with this problem.

first of all, did he put the clear coat on yet? I hope not.

on the floor: at least he kept the bleached areas confined "within the lines" of the boards-- which will help. fixing that is not actually super difficult. do you trust your floor guy to carefully stain just those boards so they match the surrounding wood? (ask him if the boards can withstand more sanding or if the type of stain can be bleached again if it doesn't turn out right.)

or if you don't trust him, there are wood restoring experts that are like artists. get one of them.

as for the uneven bleaching on the stairs, that's much more difficult, as the stain will need to be feathered out to blend with the darker areas. SO hard to do. can the treads be sanded down more and bleached again more evenly (like the entire tread)?
classychic563 thanked User
Related Discussions
How to stain Red Oak cabs and White Oak floors to look good
Q
Comments (8)
We have white oak kitchen cabinets with a very light stain. Our house was originally built with white oak floors, which we thought were red oak. We had to replace quite a few boards and we used red oak so now we have a red and white oak floor (definitely by accident). I'm with you on the white oak being nicer. Despite the efforts of our floor refinisher, the red oak still has a pinkish cast to it. In order to make the white and red oaks really blend, we would have had to go with darker stain on the floor, which we didn't want. Have you checked local cabinet makers for prices for white oak cabinets. We found that some could only get red oak and others could only get white oak. The guy who could only get white oak wasn't any more expensive than the guy who could only get red oak.
...See More
Red Oak Floors Super Grainy After Staining - What can I do?
Q
Comments (16)
@ Jayne...when you say '3 coats of sealer' do you mean 3 coats of POLYURETHANE FINISH or do you mean a sealant that is used before polyurethane is put down? Water popped floors have 'raised grain'. That's kinda the point. The raised grain is 'open' to more stain. Again...kinda the point - the grain accepts MORE stain = stronger colour. That's fine. That's normal. But...and I mean a BIG BUT here...that grain is then 'knocked down' (screening process) after the FIRST COAT of polyurethane is applied. If a WATER BASED polyurethane has been applied the grain stands up ONCE MORE. Again...water based anything causes the grain to 'puff'. Not a problem...totally normal. A screening (very light sanding) happens between coats 1 and 2. Right. And if the grain is STILL PROMINENT then the professional takes the time, ONCE AGAIN, to screen the floor between coats 2 and 3. So the order of operations is (if done PROPERLY...ahem...you have to talk to your pro to find out the details): 1. Water pop 2. Stain application 3. First coat of poly 4. Screening (light sanding) 5. Coat #2 6. If needed...screening again 7. Coat #3 Whew! Now you see why water popping costs MORE? Right...it has not just ONE extra step...it might have 3 extra steps. And that's what you are paying for when water popping is done. Feel free to go back to your professional and ask the order of operations, the finish and then how many screenings they did once the stain was put down. If they look at you like you have two heads, you have your answer = none.
...See More
How do I remove drip stains on my Pallman Wax finished red oak floors?
Q
Comments (3)
Were you instructed to purchase all 4 cleaning and maintenance products??? You would do very well to have the refinisher come in and (purchase all products from him/her) show you how to maintain your floors. You will probably pay $50/hour for this 1-2 hour tutorial. You and the refinisher will work these spots together and apply the finish oil to bring back the original look. And then you will learn your weekly, monthly and yearly maintenance requirements for an oiled floor. As pretty as these floors are, they take work. Much more work than a polyfinished floor.
...See More
Bleached red oak, HELP refinishing
Q
Comments (1)
I would love to know how your floors turned out I’m entertaining bleaching my floors but I’m so scared I have all the right products to do it. I’ve heard good things about the Bona but I’ve also heard really good things about Rubio and a product call loba transparent in mattte. Please I’d love to hear where you are now with your floor project!!
...See More
classychic563
Original Author
2 years ago
Unfortunately, he already put the clear coats on there. Honestly, I do not trust his work. How would I find one of those wood artists in NJ. I’m thinking of getting some touch up stain pens and seeing if I can find a match to the planks that weren’t bleached and try a few shades to match the existing variation of my floors.
SJ McCarthy
2 years ago
The fix is "Do Over".
User
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
classychic563

I realize this is an old thread but I was out of town and just checking old posts now. I saw that you're thinking of getting stain pens? as in those felt tip markers? I hope you didn't. they won't penetrate the top coat, the area is too large and besides, those pens are total crap. I can never get them to match, even for tiny scratches. don't think about topping it with gel stain either. it will never look right. I am a somewhat experimental DIYer willing to take some risks, and even I would not attempt to tackle this project myself, not on fresh new floors.

you had a question on where to find such good, artistic woodworkers -- I don't know. here's where I would try: google "wood restoration" in your area and ask them if they do floors and if they don't, ask them for referrals. vet them carefully. ask to see before and after pics of their work (specifically, pics of spot repair where they did not redo the entire area). ask friends and neighbors for personal recommendations too.
jnakos79
2 years ago
Do you mind me asking what stain you chose for your floors they look really nice minus your bleach situation

Related Stories

KITCHEN DESIGN Bleached White Oak Cabinets Star in This Two-Tone Kitchen

By Jeannie Matteucci

The cabinets and a new layout transform a once-dark New Jersey kitchen into a light and bright space

REMODELING GUIDES Your Floor: An Introduction to Solid-Plank Wood Floors

Get the Pros and Cons of Oak, Ash, Pine, Maple and Solid Bamboo

FUN HOUZZ Everything I Need to Know About Decorating I Learned from Downton Abbey

Mind your manors with these 10 decorating tips from the PBS series, returning on January 5

DECORATING GUIDES Fix Those 'Whoopsies': 9 Fast Solutions for Decorating Mistakes

By Laura Gaskill

Don't suffer in silence over a paint, furniture or rug snafu — these affordable workarounds can help

WOOD Woodipedia: Make a Solid Choice With Oak

By Marci Crestani

Forget those low-end products of old. Red and white oak today are beautiful, versatile and relatively inexpensive

REMODELING GUIDES Designer Confessions: Torn Between Wood Floors

By KitchenLab Interiors

19 Photos to Help You Choose a Wood Floor Finish

COLOR Bathed in Color: When to Use Red in the Bath

By Jennifer Ott Design

Rev up your space and flatter all skin tones with bold, beautiful red on bathroom walls, floors and fixtures

KITCHEN DESIGN 15 Quick Kitchen Fixes

By KitchenLab Interiors

Little Changes Will Help You Love Your Kitchen All Over Again

MOST POPULAR A Fine Mess: How to Have a Clean-Enough Home Over Summer Break

By Alison Hodgson

Don't have an 'I'd rather be cleaning' bumper sticker? To keep your home bearably tidy when the kids are around more, try these strategies

KITCHEN OF THE WEEK Kitchen of the Week: Goodbye, Honey Oak — Hello, Minty Green

By Mitchell Parker

After more than 30 years, the Kloesels revamped their space to reflect their rural country town and Victorian-style home

Sponsored

1 Review

Industry Leading General Contractors in Columbus

More Discussions

What are the best brands and types of non-toxic flooring (LVP, laminat

0

Karastan Belhancourt - Linen Wash or Vintage Teak Oak?

0

Problems with Texas traditions LVP

2

Which direction should floor board be installed?

1

Coretec Premium softstep lvp over hydronic radiant heat

0