After a few decades of dominance by laminate materials, hardwood flooring seems to be making a very strong comeback. Over the last few years, office spaces in major metropolitan areas have been featuring hardwood floors in an effort to make them more attractive to workers in the millennial generation demographic. It should be noted that there’s not much “fresh off the mill” natural hardwood being installed these days. Most of it is engineered or reclaimed, but the tones, textures, and finished surfaces have never looked better. Of the many pleasures of hardwood flooring, staining is near the top of the list. The basics of dark staining for character and light staining to give living spaces more room is still valid. However, there’s more to consider when selecting the right staining product for hardwood planks.
Jacobean
Jacobean is a classic dark stain that never goes out of style, and it will darken any species of engineered planks. In the case of white pine, one coat will turn it light grey, while subsequent coats may result in a muted black. Red oak will turn out a nice shade of brown and have a very natural look.
Simply White
Some hardwood species such as poplar and pine can be finished in a way that makes them look whitewashed. With these planks, applying white stain (often sold as simply white) will produce an attractive look that still highlights the grain. One word of advice about white stain: the planks will need to be conditioned, refinished, or at least sanded before they can be coated, which is generally not recommended for oak species.
If you’re a DIY flooring beginner, you probably shouldn’t take on the tasks of conditioning and sanding your floors on your own. You’ll save a lot of time and stress if you hire professionals with years of experience in floor refinishing and floor installation. San Diego properties with floors that are expertly installed and finished definitely have an edge when it comes to resale value.
Golden Pecan
Golden pecan is the closest you’ll get to painting your hardwood flooring yellow, and it’ll look very natural with just one coat. Pine is probably the best for golden pecan stain. In the case of red oak, the result may range between light brown and orange.
Chestnut
Along with walnut, chestnut is one of the true brown stains that look neutral and don’t obfuscate the grains and imperfection of hardwood planks. White oak will look sharp with chestnut stain, but pine may require a few coats before getting the best appearance.
Mahogany
This term is often used to describe the full line of red stains. Choosing a dark mahogany stain may result in a reddish tone that contrasts nicely with white walls, but decorating the room may turn out to be trickier unless natural wood furniture is involved. Mahogany-stained floors are very inviting and beg to be waxed, but they look great in living rooms with fireplaces.
Maple
Maple is one of the most orange-looking stains on the market, and it often looks better with maple planks because they may not look too good with other staining products. The best approach is to condition maple flooring prior to applying maple stain so the planks don’t end up looking too bright.
Hardwood flooring never seems to go out of style, and staining your wood can add just the right touch of warmth and character to any room. For help choosing the right color stain or information on any other aspect of hardwood flooring, San Diego residents can look to the experts at Unique Flooring for answers. Stop by our showroom to see our huge variety of woods and colors, or call our friendly staff at 760-454-1436.
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