Finishing White Oak Floors So They Stay Natural and Don't Yellow
sulsa
2 years ago
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Comments (18)
lv2plyglfgal
2 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 MoreNatural finish hickory floors with Oak 3-panel shaker doors
Comments (2)I find red oak to have a pink/cinnamon cast to it...whereas the maple/hickory are MUCH MORE gold. I foresee a clash of undertones with the red oak. Of course, if you PAINT THEM your fine. But a natural (even a stained finish) with red oak is going to cast a different colour of wood. The maple cabs, though a pale fleshy colour right now, WILL turn to a slightly darker GOLD. In a year or so, the cabs should be a very close gold/yellow match to the gold in the hickory (which is why I like the two woods put together). The red oak, will start out a pinky fleshy reddish hue...and stay that way. It will clash until you stain them or paint them. Your current front doors are OK-ish. The brown is just about right for the hickory. A snick on the reddish side but nothing I would lose sleep over. That's as "reddish" as you want to go with hickory. Red Oak will be worse until you paint....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 MoreHelp! Water Based Finish vs Swedish Finish on White Oak Floor
Comments (5)Swedish Finish STINKS to HIGH HEAVEN! Why? Because the VOCs are into the stratosphere. They are very high! Stink. Stink. Stink. For those of us with MIGRAINES or with CHEMICAL SENSITIVITIES the Swedish Finish can be a horrible experience. Some people find it impossible to move in after a Swedish Finish. Some are out of the house for 6weeks or more....simply because they get so sick just being in the same house as the smell. The Swedish finish is one of the best wearing floors on the market...but I'll take a 3-coat Bona Traffic HD finish ANY DAY over a Swedish finish. If you pay to have 3 coats of the Bona Traffic HD put down you will build a finish that is VERY CLOSE to the Swedish Finish. The 'guys' who say water based aren't as good as oil haven't worked with the BIG BOYS of the floor finishing industry. Bona Traffic HD and Loba 2K Supra AT are SUPER TOUGH. Both of these finishes have been 'updated' in the last 5 years. If you are in an area where 'newfangled ideas' are frowned upon, then I can guarantee these dudes haven't looked into the TOP of the line stuff. A gallon of Bona Traffic HD should cost around $150. A gallon of the Loba 2K Supra AT = $190. Compare that to Home Depot option = $80 per gallon for Varethane waterborne finish. That's the stuff that DOES NOT perform as well as oil based. And the NUMBER OF COATS of Bona HD will dictate how 'tough' your floor will be. For another $1/sf you can have a finish that lasts 7-10 years longer. Many flooring refinishers prefer a 'sealant + 2 coats of finish' system. It is cheap(er) and faster and gets them on to the next job quicker. The 3 coats gets you another LEVEL of protection. By building the finish (we call this a film building finish for a reason) you CREATE the toughest floor possible WITHOUT having migraines or bleeding noses for 6+ weeks after you move in. And Swedish Finishes amber (turn orange). If you are trying to avoid 'orange' then the Swedish Finish might be too much colour for you....See MoreG & S Floor Service
2 years agolv2plyglfgal
2 years agolv2plyglfgal
2 years agoKeen B
2 years agoKathy Harrington
2 years agolv2plyglfgal
2 years agoKeen B
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agolv2plyglfgal
2 years agoG & S Floor Service
2 years agosulsa
2 years agoKeen B
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoKeen B
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agolv2plyglfgal
2 years ago
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