Staining Hickory Floors (flooring, refinishing, color, installed)

[NC_Paddler]

I'd really love to go with unfinished hickory flooring and have it stained by a pro, but I'm reading that hickory is a real bear to stain, even for experienced folks. Any truth to that, or is it overblown?

I'm thinking about medium-color stain (provincial, early American, gunstock etc.).

Thanks for any input.

[K'ledgeBldr]

Stick with your initial thought-
It looks so much better with just clearcoat.

Due to the lack of porosity and varying degrees of grain tightness- stain can vary in penetration; ultimately creating a nonconsistant color finish.

[turf3]

If you use one of the older oxygen-porous finishes, I expect it will darken on its own anyway. I have heard that new polyurethanes don't allow enough oxygen through for this to happen.

[Ted Bear]

Hickory is full of knots, changes in grain, changes in density...and will make staining to a consistent finish very difficult.


I can't help but wonder how long this fad toward dark(er) floors will last, and then, how do you get back to a more natural, brighter finish?


Dark stain is very difficult/impossible to get out, even with sanding down to the level where the stain penetration stops. I would think VERY seriously before I stained a floor dark. Sure, you might like it now (sort of like when everyone was going with deep green tiles and counter-tops) , but when the fad is over it will be VERY COSTLY to restore the floor.

[turf3]

Originally Posted by Ted Bear

Hickory is full of knots, changes in grain, changes in density...and will make staining to a consistent finish very difficult.


I can't help but wonder how long this fad toward dark(er) floors will last, and then, how do you get back to a more natural, brighter finish?


Dark stain is very difficult/impossible to get out, even with sanding down to the level where the stain penetration stops. I would think VERY seriously before I stained a floor dark. Sure, you might like it now (sort of like when everyone was going with deep green tiles and counter-tops) , but when the fad is over it will be VERY COSTLY to restore the floor.

I agree 100%. I hate it when people take a naturally light wood like white oak and try to make it look like walnut with dark stain. The only time oak looks good dark is the ammonia-fumed Arts and Crafts style - but in that case both the winter wood and the summer wood turn a true BROWN not the blackish tint of "dark mission oak" stain. Worst of all is what people do to pine, which just ends up looking horrible.


Almost always, the finish that looks best on a wood species is the finish that is closest to its natural color. Remember back in the 90s when everyone wanted that deep red color that is actually only occasionally seen in some cherrry and some mahogany? Yuck.

[NC_Paddler]

Originally Posted by Ted Bear

Hickory is full of knots, changes in grain, changes in density...and will make staining to a consistent finish very difficult.

Select grade hickory we're working with here. I've got it already installed in my existing space, and it has practically zero knots. The salespeople at two lumber yards suggested to stay away from maple for reasons of stainability, but both poo-pooed the idea of hickory being difficult to stain, especially select grade hickory, fwiw.

[NC_Paddler]

Originally Posted by turf3

I agree 100%. I hate it when people take a naturally light wood like white oak and try to make it look like walnut with dark stain. The only time oak looks good dark is the ammonia-fumed Arts and Crafts style - but in that case both the winter wood and the summer wood turn a true BROWN not the blackish tint of "dark mission oak" stain. Worst of all is what people do to pine, which just ends up looking horrible.


Almost always, the finish that looks best on a wood species is the finish that is closest to its natural color. Remember back in the 90s when everyone wanted that deep red color that is actually only occasionally seen in some cherrry and some mahogany? Yuck.

I like both light and dark finishes, depending on the environment and the design. I've got a natural finish on my hickory floors and love it, but my rental space design calls for darker floors, and something like this will look stunning.

http://mounthopeplaning.com/cmsb/upl...koryCoffee.jpg

[NC211]

Originally Posted by Ted Bear

Hickory is full of knots, changes in grain, changes in density...and will make staining to a consistent finish very difficult.


I can't help but wonder how long this fad toward dark(er) floors will last, and then, how do you get back to a more natural, brighter finish?


Dark stain is very difficult/impossible to get out, even with sanding down to the level where the stain penetration stops. I would think VERY seriously before I stained a floor dark. Sure, you might like it now (sort of like when everyone was going with deep green tiles and counter-tops) , but when the fad is over it will be VERY COSTLY to restore the floor.

I can answer how difficult it is to remove the dark stain. Look up “red oak floors” on this subsection by me and see the pictures. It f’n sucks! Ha! Never worked so hard on a project before in my entire life. And the worst part, after I did the main floor, the second floor stalked me. Didn’t know the pain that awaited me the first time. Knew it when I had to do it all again for the 2nd time.

Never again will I either stain or buy already stained with the thought of easily refinishing to a natural color again..

[Skipito]

Originally Posted by NC_Paddler

Select grade hickory we're working with here. I've got it already installed in my existing space, and it has practically zero knots. The salespeople at two lumber yards suggested to stay away from maple for reasons of stainability, but both poo-pooed the idea of hickory being difficult to stain, especially select grade hickory, fwiw.

Hickory should be left unstained and left to gain a patina from age, then sealed.

[klarkostin]

Now there are many YouTube videos on this topic.