I’m installing new floors and refinishing old Red Oak floors. I’m not crazy about Red Oak, so I’m thinking about staining them, trying to get close the the color of english brown oak. Actually using english brown oak isn’t even close to being on my radar screen and for flooring , fuming the boards with ammonia isn’t practical. Does anyone have a recipe for stain that will make red oak look like english brown oak. By the way, it will be quartersawn if that influences stain selection.
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Replies
Environmental Friendly Stains, "EF Brand" has a nice water based stain called Brown Mahogony that is the color of dark brown oak. Water based is probably what you need for flooring.
My suggestion is to get a about 6 feet of the flooring you intend to use and make some mockups. If you like the grain to pop out a bit more, start with a yellow stain first, then go the the dark brown, then considering adding a red, like EF Cherry. The Cherry really warms up the Brown which is a bit boring to me. I would add the yellow first, and let it dry, then either do a mix, like 5-1 Brown to Cherry or add the Brown and let it dry, then add the Cherry.
Do some mock ups with poly on them and the recipe on the back for comparison and selection.
Boris
"Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934
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