Pine floors - how quickly will they darken?

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

We are having our kitchen renovated, and our contractor had recommended that we match the new floors to our existing pine floors. Well, they just put the first coat of finish on the floors and eek - as you can see from the photos the colors are not even close. There is no natural transition spot where the floors meet - we took down a wall so we have a transition in the middle of the new kitchen/dining room space and another in an open space between the kitchen and the family room. The contractor and flooring expert are reassuring me that pine ambers significantly in the first few months, and that within a year they will be a good match. I am skeptical! Anyone have insight into this?
Thanks!

Featured Answer

Timothy Winzell

3 years ago

It won't darken that quickly and maybe never to the same extent as the existing. I'd recommend adding tinted coats of urethane until the new can be caught up with the old, then apply a final coat of clear. There's a limit how much tint can be added to clear finish without risking it having splotches. In some extreme cases we have taped off the floor in rows so we could walk on adjacent boards while coating rather than trying to do the whole thing at once. then tape off the second section and walk on it while tint coating.

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Comments (10)

PRO
G & S Floor Service
3 years ago
As mentioned, it will not darken as much as existing. At least not in the first five years. I would apply 1 or 2 coats of poly shade to add color.
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L H
Original Author
3 years ago
Thank you both for the knowledge and advice. Is there concern that if we stain the new floors they will later be darker than the un-stained original flooring?
Seabornman
3 years ago
Oil based finishes will give amber look more quickly.
L H
Original Author
3 years ago
They are using an oil based finish….
And thanks, I didn’t realize there was a difference between staining and toning.
PRO
G & S Floor Service
3 years ago
You can tone the color without doing a full sand. Toning can be done over existing stains or polyurethanes. Finish can lap if, not applied properly.
Timothy Winzell
3 years ago
The old isn't stained so the new shouldn't be either. It's darkened due to a combination of the wood and finish darkening. The best way to mimic that look is with a glaze over the top. We always apply a clear seal coat first so the glaze doesn't soak in and it can be wiped off easier, making it easier to do samples. We usually try to do multiple thin coats and sneak up on the color. This helps avoid uneven application issues. A tint coat can darken or change color slightly once it dries. If it gets too dark you have to start over. It seems logical that one would use yellowish or orange hues to tint but sometimes a tiny bit of purple is needed to give the yellow more of a brown tint.
Jennifer Tooley
last year
Any updates after 2 years Leah? Just had a house fore and going throught the same thing trying to match an existing floor.
PRO
Minardi
last year
You apply amber shellac first, before applying an oil based finish. Shellac was always the traditional treatment for pine.
Timothy Winzell
last year
Shellac is a decent idea since it's amber colored and dries quickly. In almost 40 years of wood floor work, we never used shellac, so you might have an issue finding someone versed in its use.