Chris,
I have a house built in 1916 with Doug for floors. We found new Doug fir to piece in but it looks very different from the old wood. The flooring contractor said that it will darken and red over time but we don't want to wait 10 years for this to happen. Your new bedroom picture floors look very similar, was there and stain applied there before the poly or that is simply due to sun? Thanks
Taylor
1924 Dutch Colonial Floors - Heart Pine or Doug Fir?
Re: 1924 Dutch Colonial Floors - Heart Pine or Doug Fir?
Chris,
I have a house built in 1916 with Doug for floors. We found new Doug fir to piece in but it looks very different from the old wood. The flooring contractor said that it will darken and red over time but we don't want to wait 10 years for this to happen. Your new bedroom picture floors look very similar, was there and stain applied there before the poly or that is simply due to sun? Thanks
Taylor
I have a house built in 1916 with Doug for floors. We found new Doug fir to piece in but it looks very different from the old wood. The flooring contractor said that it will darken and red over time but we don't want to wait 10 years for this to happen. Your new bedroom picture floors look very similar, was there and stain applied there before the poly or that is simply due to sun? Thanks
Taylor
Re: 1924 Dutch Colonial Floors - Heart Pine or Doug Fir?
Look into Watco Natural Oil and see if this will help you to achieve the blending you want.
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CS in Low Hud
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Re: 1924 Dutch Colonial Floors - Heart Pine or Doug Fir?
Hi Taylor,
Welcome! We did not stain the douglas fir. It's a beautiful wood that is rather sensitive to light - as your contractor said, it will darken and turn more red with age. IMO, this is when it's the most beautiful - un-stained fir with the deep red/orange glow. But, this will still happen under poly, or stain, or oil, so, while you could attempt to stain it to match your existing floors, that match will still change over time, stabilizing after ten years or so. I would learn to embrace that!
That said, spar varnish, or a Polyurethane-with-Spar-Varnish will add a degree of amber to your fir that might give you a closer match immediately. I've also used shellac - mix from flakes and experiment with amber, blond and orange, on a piece of scrap wood. Be sure to finish with whatever topcoat you plan to use on your floors, as well, to test the full look.
Good luck, and share pictures!
Chris
Welcome! We did not stain the douglas fir. It's a beautiful wood that is rather sensitive to light - as your contractor said, it will darken and turn more red with age. IMO, this is when it's the most beautiful - un-stained fir with the deep red/orange glow. But, this will still happen under poly, or stain, or oil, so, while you could attempt to stain it to match your existing floors, that match will still change over time, stabilizing after ten years or so. I would learn to embrace that!
That said, spar varnish, or a Polyurethane-with-Spar-Varnish will add a degree of amber to your fir that might give you a closer match immediately. I've also used shellac - mix from flakes and experiment with amber, blond and orange, on a piece of scrap wood. Be sure to finish with whatever topcoat you plan to use on your floors, as well, to test the full look.
Good luck, and share pictures!
Chris