Which stain or finishing will soften the variation of hickory floor?
Carrie C
13 days ago
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Can hickory floors be stained a light gray/beige?
Comments (3)Any wood floor can be decorated to achieve a desired result. Of course, it is best to choose a wood with the grain characteristics you prefer, but if hickory is what you have to "tame" then finishing to tone down contrasts can be done....See MoreHardwood floors... Which wood species?/Oil based vs. water based stain
Comments (13)For people looking for a durable domestic hardwood our hickory has been a very popular option. Because you'll be finishing in place your installer should be able to stain any color you want but make sure to see how it looks on the specie and grade you choose. The hickory has a very noticeable color variation between the heart wood and sapwood and because of this will stain a little differently. As far as finish goes we usually recommend a tung oil finish because of the fact that it is spot repairable. This allows you to re-finish or touch up areas where the dogs make their loop, leap, or general jumping around. I know pointers can sometimes be a little high energy and this will allow you smooth out those areas without re-finishing the entire surface like you would need to do with a traditional poly finish. Another option that many large pet owning customers have really liked is our saw kerf texture. This does give more of a rustic feel to the surface but it also disguises many of the "accidental blemishes" that can happen with your flooring. What ever your decision we wish you luck!...See MoreFinish Installing Hickory Flooring During The Winter
Comments (8)Sigh...OK. Back to grade 10 Science. Here we go. Warm air holds MORE moisture than cold air. That's why the Amazon basin feels so "sticky" that you are wandering around in a wet towel whereas the Arctic/Antarctic feel like you are unable to take a breath it is so dry. Warmer air holds MORE moisture. It's that simple. Now the trick comes with artificial heating systems for indoor spaces. Most indoor heat in N. America is either forced air. Forced air is produced by lighting a flame and blowing the heat around. The fire/flame dries out the air and then it dries out wood in the house (and everything else). So...it is true that artificially heated air is drier. But if your home is well constructed, it will be able to maintain humidity and temperature quite nicely. You will most likely have to keep pumping humid air into this space for MONTHS before your wood "puffs up" enough to close the gaps. And then you will need to lug those stand alone things out EVERY WINTER (ahem for the next 25 years) and filling the reservoir on a daily basis. These are considered "short term" fixes. They will not be what your home needs long term (long term is anything over 3 years). Because this is 4" wide hickory and because you live in a climate that has large humidity swings between winter and summer, I HIGHLY recommend you pay the piper and add the expensive humidifier/dehumidifier to the furnace/HVAC system. Summers on the East Coast can be VERY humid (70+ humidity) which means you will need a way to REDUCE humidity in summer. That means you need the high-end add-on. Please find out the make of your furnace and then contact the local dealer (preferably the people who installed the darn thing) and have them quote a price for the whole-home humidifier/dehumidifier. As for the wood...you have weeks and weeks and weeks of waiting and refilling the reservoirs in the stand-up humidifiers before you will see a difference in the floor....See MoreStaining Hickory floors
Comments (1)What type of finish are you using? Are you using oil based, oil modified or water based polyurethane? The current finish is water based polyurethane (the wood is very pale without any orange tones which means the current finish is water based). You put a patch of finish down for your last photo. What is the product?...See MoreCarrie C
13 days agoCarrie C
13 days agoCarrie C
13 days ago
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