Stain color suggestions

There’s parquet and there’s parquet.  I agree that the new stuff is generally ugly, and would look better stained darker than left natural.  It looks lousy, usually, when left natural. 100 or year old parquet, which is what the second photo posted here looks like it is (hard to tell, but looks like it), original to century old brownstones looks wonderful when sanded and not stained, just finished.  Yes, it yellows nicely, and glows really, especially in sunlight.  You can stain it, but it is hard to get something that looks as good as natural does.  The exception being red oak, which does look good with the traditional red oak stain.  But other stains people choose for this old parquet often just looks slightly off – because it is.  There are a few ways to make it look really great leaving it natural without stain, like effort was made, and so it looks way better than your average floor.  One is to strip and finish sanding it by hand – it looks much sharper than the job even good floor refinishers do with their machines.  You don’t see that often, due to the labor involved.  The second is to sand well and use a finish that is not poly.  Lots has been written here about them in other places.  A finish that pentrates the wood, rather than sitting on top like poly, will not chip or wear like poly does.

brokelin

in Brownstoner Renovation 12 years and 10 months ago

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xchx | 12 years and 10 months ago

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http://cdn.brownstoner.com/516ea84caa51e-processed-httpsterlingplacerenofileswordpresscom201304photo-1-1jpg.jpg

I’m having the parquet floors sanded and refinished in my duplex apartment. It’s a very sunny apartment. I haven’t painted the walls yet but I’m thinking off-white. What color stain do you guys suggest?

mimimaloo | 12 years and 10 months ago

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The size of the actaul parquet is important to the stain colour. If it is small 1970’s style… then I suggest you go dark. This will make the floors all about texture and create a less busy statement. Think ash tones… not red hues, too.  Ebony is stunning but a commitment. You can’t go lighter unless you cheriuse the finish.https://www.google.com/search?q=cerused+wood&num=20&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=iLRuUeP6OZCG0QHSlIDACw&ved=0CDEQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=643The benefit is that it is allows you to add contrasting rugs in light shades or even busy patterns… as these will really pop on a dark floor. It also makes the walls much more versitile. You can pick almost any neutral paint colour and it will compliment nicely. It is sort of the same idea as wearing black and accenting with If your paquets are

nalusurf | 12 years and 10 months ago

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We just had our parquet floors sanded and stained in our brownstone and went with a darker, red oak stain that fits with the history and original stain color of the flooring. This is really a personal choice and you need to make it based on what you want. If you have a small space darker colors will make it feel smaller whereas a lighter stain will give you the feeling of being more open. The one recommendation I can give is for the finish. I would recommend against a high gloss finish as it makes the wood look like a gymnasium floor. We went with a satin finish. Good luck!

xchx | 12 years and 10 months ago

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http://cdn.brownstoner.com/516eb8b5486bf-httpsterlingplacereno.files.wordpress.com201304kitchen2.jpg

thanks for the suggestions, here’s a closeup of the parquet. this is from the kitchen where it’s stained dark, the rest is lighter

mimimaloo | 12 years and 10 months ago

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whoops… If your parquets are large, you should pick a tone that also pulls the floor’s texture into play, but doesn”t put anyone to sleep… or makes them think you are spending too much time at Home Depot. I’d go with a walnut stain and pop it with a ash coulourant. Whatever you choose… make certain you aren’t doing it to match a particular wall shade. Do it so it is versitile to many different shades of light-toned paint.   I am right in the middle of doing the exact same thing to an entire floor of a brownstone. I have the larger parquets (12″ square). I’m mxing Ronan Japan colours in standard (store-bought) stains to pull the tones to more ashy hues. It looks fab. Don’t forget to dampen/wet the floors first to open the pores of the wood… and knock down every layer of poly to deepen the finish until your are on the last one. Satin finish will make the floors look amazing. Have fun and good luck!

xchx | 12 years and 10 months ago

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thanks mimimaloo. we’re not actually doing it ourselves. do you have any pics of this ash effect? what do you mix in exactly? dry pigment

fexleycb | 12 years and 10 months ago

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I love Mohawk’s Van Dyke Brown. http://www.mohawk-finishing.com/catalog_browse.asp?ictNbr=177

Cobblekrill | 12 years and 10 months ago

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I wouldn’t add any color. Sand and poly in a satin finish. The natural wood is beautiful. It is possible to over think this stuff…