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Red Oak Stain Issue
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Posted by jgoodish (My Page) on Sat, Nov 7, 09 at 21:33
| My house is 5-6 years old, and the trim (base, casings, and jambs) are all red oak, stained with Minwax Cherry #235, and then coated with poly. I have a couple casings that are not coated with poly, but are stained (in the unfinished basement.) I would now like to install a shoe along the base, and have purchased red oak shoe and stained it with the same Minwax color that was used on the original trim. The problem is that the color is slightly off--the existing trim has an orange hue to it (even the stuff without poly on it), and the new stuff does not. I'm trying to figure out whether the orange hue is a result of aging of the stained wood, UV exposure, etc. I've read about similar "orange hue" issues with red oak before, but never heard any explanation. Ultimately, I'm trying to figure out whether my new shoe will acquire the same type of hue over time and better match the existing base--it's close now, except that the new stuff doesn't have the orange cast to it.
Thanks,
JKG |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Red Oak Stain Issue
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| The orange hue---or "that warm amber glow" is usually caused by finishing with oil based finishes---varnish or polyurethane. Wood is stained for color and needs to be finished with a protectant like varnish, poly, lacquer, or shellac. Easiest way for you to get the effect you want is to buy a quart of orange shellac(look at the 'Born on' date on the bottom of the can, since shelf life of mixed shellac is about three years) and put a coat of that on the shoe. That should get you the orange hue you want. |
RE: Red Oak Stain Issue
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| Thanks. I concluded that the orange (or amber) shellac was probably a reasonable solution. I don't necessarily WANT the orange hue, but the shellac does make the shoe blend in a bit more with the existing trim. I certainly don't want to pull all of the existing trim off to refinish it. Thanks,
JKG |
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