How to minimize grain/color variation?

9 years ago

Hi,

We are about to install 2k sq. ft. of wood flooring. Originally, we were leaning towards Cherry because we love the color and grain, but we have been advised to steer clear of it because it may be too "soft" (although we are not particularly hard on our floors). We don't mind Oak (plus it's quite a bit cheaper) and we love English Chestnut as a stain, but we don't like the strong grain and color variation that usually accompanies it (for our particular application it would make for too busy a floor). Q: Can we put down stained Oak (or other hard species) in such a way so as to minimize the graining?

Thanks!

Comments (3)

live_wire_oak
9 years ago
Cherry has more of a "wild" grain than oak does due to the mix of heart and sapwood. It can be pretty dramatic.
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You could do rift and quartered white oak, which would be less of the flatsawn "arch" look, and then do a medium to dark stain with it. You'll end up with the classic "tiger" oak used in older homes and furniture. It's a lot more subtle than flatsawn though.

If you want very little visible grain though, you should choose maple. Maple is difficult to stain without blotching though, so it's not as good of a choice for a dark floor unless you buy prefinished flooring.
Silas
4 years ago
Do you know the stain used for this R&Q white Oak? I just installed my downstairs with this and I am looking for a stain that looks just like this. Please let me know how I can achieve this look. Thanks!
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jalarse
4 years ago
I have cherry floors in my house about 2400 sq ft. Been there for 18 years now. I was told cherry is one of the harder woods. All I can add is living on the beach with sand, and since we live on the beach lots of company, several dogs and cats it’s held up remarkably well. Many people today don’t like it because of the red and orange tones but we have always liked it since day one. I love the variations of color. Somehow a floor that’s all one shade does not appeal to me but then everyone is different. Best of luck to you in your decision.