Daisy - Yes you can the same as site finished. I've also read the finish is tougher. Tina - I agree about the colors and not too dark. I think dark flooring would be a nightmare to clean. I also think when it's so dark it looks like brown carpet. I definitely don't want anything orange, not yellow, and not red. Maybe a hint of red. I like the level of darkness on this flooring. I think I'd like it better with more brown less red. Linelle - There are companies around here that do dustless refinishing. I can't imagine the cost, but when the time comes I think we'll probably go that way. How bad is the clean/dust from refinishing? If we lived in a two story home I wouldn't mess with bedroom upstairs. I do LIKE carpet under my feet and I enjoy running the vacuum like a weirdy. :) This is purely a visual update for me though I do image our house will be less dusty without the carpet. Sheesh - Hmm... that is a lot. I think it may help that I'm short. ? 5'1" here and I hear that with age I'll most likely shrink a little, ha. (Not funny really!) I'm not bothered doing work at the counters if I'm in shoes with little heels. I don't sport heels often in the house though. I should probably start a thread just on the kitchen. Tile would create the same issue. I don't really want tile. I also don't want to install any type of fake wood near the real wood so that leaves vinyl. I think anything that's not wood makes it harder to decorate around or change up. There's also the baseboards. Mine are only 3 something". I think instead of replacing ALL the base I'd rather use white shoe moulding and then maybe later add another piece of moulding on top to make it larger.

Thanks for the reply. I think the issue may have been that I didn't save deep enough with my palm sander for these test boards. SJ I believe water popping can only be done with water. Mineral spirits is used to clean/tack the floor and it won't pop the grain. I also did a test board of water popped red oak vs non water popped, with water popping the dura seal stain came out insanely dark.

Did you end up using weathered oak in your red oak floors? How does it look?

I am going thru the same thing right now! We already blended a bona stain and hated it so I am paying to re-sand! My contractor uses bona and duraseal ...here are some of my examples...the classic grey ( big area) is nice but looks purple sometimes...I kinda like your special walnut -classic grey combo....