The color of wood
When it comes to staining wood flooring people seem to fall along some easy divides. There are the purists for whom the idea of adding stain to wood is a really odd idea. Then there are the adventurers who take great joy in adding their own touch of color to their flooring. What we suggest always is to follow your own instincts and that your first idea or choice will end up being the right one for you, stain or no stain. Now speaking as a purist please never stain reclaimed wood.
Let's begin by understanding the differences in finishes and stains. An oil stain with no pigment added will darken the floor no matter what specie or grade you choose. Oil finishes accentuate the color and grain of wood with the darkening effect.
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The image above is a clear illustration of the difference between and unfinished floor and an oil finish on white oak. White oak is an outlier in the sense that it takes all finishes well so be advised there are differences in how wood takes finishes. All wood floors take oil finishes well. You are at zero risk when you choose an oil finish for your flooring project. From hickory to walnut they all look great, but not particularly adventurous.
Tung oil on Highlands Plank
Here are some links to some highly recommended oil finishes.
Another option here for a clear finish are water based polyurethanes. They will darken the floor but just slight less than oil.
Here are some links to water based finishes.
Now on to stains and what works and what doesn't. I am going to let you all know out of the gate there is one wood that just resists stain of all kinds, hickory. Having said that lets take a look at some possibilities.
Stains generally are really tints of color that are either added to the finish or are applied as a primary coat to be followed by a finish topcoat. Here are some successful stain jobs we have seen.
Rubio Natural
The organic all in one finish company makes a stain that is a great example of a tint. This color "Natural" is one of the lightest tints or stains we have ever seen.
Rubio Oyster
Another very light tint or stain from Monocoat. The color is called Oyster. Monocoat is an all in one finish solution whether you stain or don't. The Oyster tint allows color to mainly stick in the tight grain leaving you with a residue of pigment.
Norwalk Driftwood
On the other end of the spectrum this is our Norwalk Driftwood finish. This is a transformative finish requiring specialized sanding and finish application but wow what a look on white oak. If you are looking to do something out of the ordinary we highly recommend you choose a grade of white oak. This floor adapts well to any color, stain or finish and will not fight you to get the look you want.
Minwax Golden Oak on new white oak character grade
A very traditional finish on a very traditional floor. This stain gently warms the white oak without intruding on the organic beauty of the wood. Lots of options out there but let me give a word of caution, again stick with your instincts as delving into this world can become quickly overwhelming!
Go here to see our finish page.
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