Custom staining hardwood floors can be a tricky adventure, not only for the customer but the contractor handling the work. What may look good on a small hardwood sample could be different from the final result.
My venture up to Tennessee a few weeks ago to visit with Al Havner & Sons proved interesting in a custom stained Maple job. Folks, if you're really looking to get an idea what the floor color is going to look like and not just from a small sample, put it on the floor. In this particular job the customer wanted the floor color to be a shade lighter than the cabinets in the background.
You're probably wondering.."wow...there are some colors there that just don't look anywhere near the cabinets in the background...what gives?" I've never been on the finishing side of the business, so much of this is new to me as well.
The job itself is considered a site finished floor whereby the unfinished or raw hardwood is installed then sanded and finished. The testing itself was performed after the taped area was drum sanded then screened to the level the entire floor would be.
Pink? Those areas represent the color after an oil based stain was applied. The color called Sedona Red sure didn't come out right did it? It may work with Red Oak but not Maple. All the other areas had the same Brown Mahogany stain applied, but the applications were different. Some were a mixture of Al's secret sauce after the grain was "popped" or the area was "water wiped" while other areas did not get the sauce.
Other the next year or so I hope to learn more about the finishing side of the business. In the meantime, for those seeking information about natural hardwood floor colors will be surprised at the number available.
Need an expert in the Knoxville TN area? Give Al a call at 865-982-4724.
