Replies

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Nov 16, 2011 02:13pm | #1

   If I am seeing this correctly, the tile is the wood toned piece with the label attached.  You show this in one view over what appears to be a glossy engineered floor.  Is this correct? 

   If my monitor has the colors right--a big if, I'd think you might be happier with wood for the stairs in a "cooler shade".  Rather than red oak, I'd think about white oak, and I'd use a clear oil based finish (or at least sealer) to bring out the natural tones.  In quartersawn lumber white oak has the fairly dramatic flake pattern, but if that is too much, a rift sawn white oak has straighter grain.  Rift sawn might be a bit harder to locate. 

1. 
   mobiledynamics | Nov 16, 2011 05:53pm | #2

   The one over the santos mohgany flooring is more truer to color in *the light* .

   Indeed the wood tile with the *label* is the tile we are going with

   I'm not a ww'ker so any suggestions on species / wood finish would be greatly apprecoated.

   I'd like to maintain a natural sheen - not high gloss if possible on the stairs.

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Nov 16, 2011 11:29pm | #3

   Floor finishes all come in a satin finish.  You want a finish made specifically for finishing floors, not something you can pick up in a big box store.  Brands such as Bona Kemi  and Basic Coatings are well recognized.  Some of the most abrasion resistant are waterborne finishes such as Bona Kemi Traffic or Mega and Basic Coatings Street Shoes.  But, with a waterborne floor finish you do need to be sure that you first use that companies sealer designed to give the richer look that you would get with a oil based finish that "wets" the wood.   Waterborne dry much faster than oil based and have a bit less odor as well, though you still want plenty of ventilation.    One of the reason to use finishes specifically labeled as floor finishes is that they must meet traction requirements that ensure they aren't excessively slick. 

1. 
   mobiledynamics | Nov 17, 2011 12:24pm | #4

   Thank you Steve. Would you advise white oak for the mahogony flooring as well ?

   The tiled is for the basement stairs. I'm going to attack the 1st floor to 2nd at some point as well.

   I was originally leaning on quartersawn oak for the basement treads. However.....I was not sure what would be available for both the handrails/ skirt board.  I was VERY hesitant on using oak as I've never been a fan of the graining. Methinks the quartersawn would be okay though