One of the most popular types of hardwood flooring is red oak, and one of the main reasons for its popularity is that it is both (relatively) inexpensive and long-lasting.
When we constructed our previous home from scratch, we put oak flooring stain colors. We are currently remodeling a house that already has white oak floors, so we are trying to make them look identical to what they looked like before.
I am frequently asked about red oak flooring and my opinions on bringing it into the modern day in terms of its appearance.
Tips For Choosing Oak Floor Stains
The following is a list of many oak floor colors that I recommend testing out. These are light, and they should be able to cover up the pink adequately while also bringing out the warmth of the wood.
You are not recommended to use pickled oak floor stains on their own since they will not conceal the wood’s red and yellow overtones. However, pickled oak might look good when combined with another stain.
1) Ensure That You Want To Stain
If your floors are in good condition, you may choose to highlight their natural grain and color. Consider exotic and prestigious timbers such as mahogany, cherry, walnut, and maple. In these instances, a wood finish, not a stain, should be used.
2) Consider The Overall Style Of Your Home
The first step in choosing the wood stain color for your floors is determining whether you want your flooring to be the room’s centerpiece or blend into it.
Extremely dark floors (stained with coffee, ebony, or tblack) and floors stained an unique hue (such as emerald or indigo) will make the wood floors stand out.
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3) Consider The Resale Factor
If you expect to sell your home shortly, use a versatile and crowd-pleasing stain. The most common stains for wood flooring are typically imitations of wood in shades of gray and brown.
4) Evaluation Of Cabinetry And Furniture
Choose a floor stain that complements the color of your cabinetry and furniture, if possible. Instead of precisely matching the cabinet and furniture colors, the stain should complement or contrast with them.
5) Consider The Light
If the room in question is dim, you should likely choose a lighter wood stain. Darker floors absorb more light, while lighter floors reflect more.
The presence of light-stained floors, such as gray, pine, or golden oak, can make a home appear brighter and more cheerful.
6) Consider The Type Of Wood
Consider the wood floor you are staining as a rule of thumb. When applied to maple, white oak, red oak, or any other wood species, the stains’ hues will seem different.
7) Go Custom
If you’ve scoured the available stain colors and still can’t find what you’re looking for, you can create your combination. Imagine that you are a painter blending different colors on a palette to create a unique hue.
If you are looking for the “natural” look of wood that is currently popular in new construction and wants a stain, I recommend mixing several different stains.
Adding a clear top coat to oak hardwood floor stain colors will give it a lighter appearance while at the same time deepening the natural undertones that are already present in the wood. My personal preference is for a water-based top coat.
What Colors Can You Stain Oak Floors?
Cherry and Golden Oak are two examples of lighter colors that nonetheless provide a floor some depth and color while also drawing attention to the inherent grains and beauty of the floor.
While darker colors like True Black and Ebony can create a bold statement in a room and draw more attention to the furnishings, lighter colors like white and beige will do the opposite.
My preference would have been for the Bona Natural Seal because I thought its packaging looked the most professional. The natural color was warmer and had less pink.
The Nordic seal had a salmon pink hue and a slight Nordic vibe, but it’s something to consider because it looks good! The classic looked stunning but with a pinkish tint.
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Protecting Your Floors
Lastly, I suggest using a high-traffic water-based finish instead of an oil-based polyurethane to coat your flooring. A finish that is oil-based will turn more orange over time than one that is water-based.
It is better to err on the side of caution when dealing with a wooden floor that already has strong orange undertones. Matte is currently the most popular finish in fashion, but maintaining its clean appearance can be challenging. I chose satin, and I couldn’t be happier with the results!
What Is The Most Popular Hardwood Floor Stain Color?
Grays and browns that imitate the look of wood are typically the most popular choices for stain colors regarding wood flooring. Consider walnut, pine, mahogany, or golden oak, in addition to the many tones of gray, ranging from light to dark.
Brown-hued stains are undoubtedly on,e of the most time-honored color choices for the wood used in the construction of furniture.
These stains can be used to assist create designs that are both cold and warm, as well as to merge the modern with the traditional.
In terms of color trends for wood flooring, greige, created by combining gray and beige, will replace gray in 2022.
Within the past year, this combination of brown, beige, and a touch of gray has become increasingly popular. The color greige combines the understated look of gray with the warmth of beige.
Should Oak Floors Be Stained?
Staining is a fantastic choice to consider if you want to make a radical change to the way that they seem. To our good fortune, oak floors make excellent candidates for staining and can tolerate the application of stain very well when the appropriate procedures are followed.
Staining is an extremely crucial element of the process, and it is one that should be addressed with great care regardless of whether you are installing new floors or dealing with hardwood that is already in place.
What Colours Go With Natural Oak Flooring?
To improve the natural appearance of your wood, think about using light and earthy colors. Your oak planks’ lovely textures and natural beauty might be brought out by painting them any color from a neutral gray to a verdant green.
Navy is an example of a hue that is both rich and light, and it is one of the colors that complements the richness of oak in any of its shades.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) What colors can I stain oak floors?
White oak is the material that usually produces the most beautiful results when stained gray. Because red oak has underlying red tones, it is frequently necessary to use a darker gray to obtain the desired effect.
2) What is the best stain for oak floors?
Cherry and Golden Oak are two examples of lighter colors that nonetheless provide a floor some depth and color while also drawing attention to the inherent grains and beauty of the floor.
3) How do you pick a hardwood floor stain?
The finest wood stain for furnishings or any large wood surface is an oil-based stain due to its slower drying period, which results in a more uniform finish.
Oil-based stains penetrate more deeply, leaving behind a richer color that is simple to reapply.
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