Hello again! Ask your installer about Odie's Oil as a floor finish. It bonds with the wood and creates a water resistant to waterproof finish, brings out hte grains beautifully and you can wipe on and wipe off to do touch ups like a wax, but there is no wax, no build up and no dulling or yellowing. I refinished my mom's desk and a sewing cabinet with Odie's because I was hoping not to have to completely strip them and figured it was worth a try. I loved the easy of working wth it (soap and water clean up, non-toxic - you can use it on counters and cutting boards). I believe it is citrus oil based - no awful fumes. I always wanted to be able to install a wood floor with a vintage wax finish so it could be touched up and buffed, but most homes here aren't built for that. If I ever install a site finished floor, I will have it finished with Odie's. I think a pale to mid toned congnac sounds lovely and classic.

I don't have any answers or advice for you -- but :::waving:::: it is SO nice to see you posting, Shee! I remember you well and hope all is well with you and your family!

Hi Shee!! I also have no wisdom related to floors but just wanted to say hi!

oh hi! Waving along with the welcomeback committee.

I remember you too, and hope you'll get good advice on the hardwood.

Thanks for the shout out! Welcome back!!

Lascatx - Thanks for the info. I’ll look into Odie’s Oil.

Funky!, Sue, Salonva, Annie - The family is doing well.

I’m trying to figure out what I want so I’m not swayed by a contractor. I let an HVAC guy change my mind on a bathroom fan/light combo once and regretted it so much afterward. I was left trying to figure out how that even happened! We had it replaced a couple years later.

The planks should run lengthwise down the hall and parallel to the longest walls in the rooms, right? Should the foyer area run longways too, but into that? Like this?

Herringbone? Though I don’t know if that’s the correct scale for the foyer. Also the flooring width is too wide here. I wouldn't want to go over 4" because of expansion and contraction.

I like the colors in both photos. I wouldn’t want it to get any warmer than the first one.

I’m also trying to decide now if the cost would be worth it to change the base moulding, or if we should just add 1/4" round. I don’t think I have it in me, or the time, to go around and caulk and paint the entire house of base at this point, so that would need to be hired out.

Somehow I managed to open a pro account. I contacted them to hopefully correct that.

Shee, it is a matter of preference on directional changes. Personally, I strongly prefer hardwood run in the same directions in adjoining rooms, at least - if not same direction in the whole house. To my eye it opens up spaces and gives good flow. I would run it in your foyer the same as the hallway - the foyer is a smallish room and horizontal in there will be perfectly fine. IMO, of course.

DLM! I bet the grands are getting big.

There’s a finished basement under the floor. The two flooring companies I’m interested in both do very well with herringbone and different flooring patterns. I should probably keep it simple and the same throughout. I’d hate to pay extra for that and then decide it’s too “busy,” dislike it, and end up covering it with an area rug.

Years back, I think you told me to make sure we had 7–14' random length long boards added into the mix. Thoughts on that?

I should note that a few of the people I listed whose houses/styles I like do have different flooring. My house couldn’t handle really dark or wide flooring. I like how they decorate and their overall look.

Alley - I definitely like good flow. My flooring currently looks like a bad patchwork quilt, so I’m looking forward to saying goodbye to that!

Here’s a photo going all the same direction. It made the width too big and altered my wall color. I have BM Feather Down.

I like it much better all going in the same direction. Of course it is one of those YMMV things. 😆 I really like the flow in the updated visual.

The way you've done it in your last photo is the way I'd suggest laying the floor. My site finished oak floors are installed just like this - the boards in the foyer do not change direction (I also decided against doing a herringbone layout in the foyer - and I love herringbone).

I wouldn't do variable width but would keep it consistent. Clear grade has less movement and virtually no knots - select has movement but not like crazy grain and knots, just more than clear. My floors are select, long lengths, I believe 6' - 10' or 12' with a few random short boards here and there. We did a light stain, almost looks unstained just a bit more oomph and a neutral brown to counter any yellowing as it ages, hopefully. Unstained seemed a bit too spare for our house and I wanted to warm it up just a touch. We used Bona Traffic HD finish in satin - first time with an acrylic finish for us and I absolutely love it, does not look plastic at all.

Thanks for the feedback!

Dlm- oops, I meant longer lengths added in not widths.

The installers we talked with in the past had certain topcoat brands they liked and didn’t seem to want to branch from that. Has anyone found this to be common?

If we used oil based, I am concerned with how long the smell will last.

Oil based does smell. No getting around that. It will off-gas for ??? some time, not sure how long. It also doesn't cure immediately and you risk denting/scratching it moving furniture around as well as just walking on it. It will also amber over time. A dark stain can camouflage some of the ambering but it doesn't sound like that's the direction you are leaning.

When I had my golden oak flooring site finished folks told me the smell would be awful, etc. It wasn't. I'd made plans to sleep in the garage if it was unbearable, but I was fine in my bedroom (carpeted at the time) with the door shut. The smell dissipated fairly quickly. My oak floor has ambered quite a bit. It is what it is.

If I could wave a magic wand I'd get it all replaced with site-finished white oak, unstained, 5" wide planks, although I could be happy with narrower. Definitely get the 5-1/4" baseboards. You will be glad you did. They have to come off anyway when the floor goes in.

Well, we had our meeting, and it went really well. I really hope he’s the one we end up going with. He said he uses Bona and Duraseal, but could use whatever I wanted. We talked oil-based, water-based, hybrid... it was a lot. He’s going to work up pricing and said he’d make me sample boards.

Woke up this morning thinking I’ll change it to red oak. I like red oak too! Tonight I’m back and forth on that, and now I’m camp rift and quarter sawn all the way. Flip a coin? LOL, I’m on my own nerves.

Part of the problem is it’s hard to find photos labeled what they actually are. And when I think I’ve found ones that are probably the same, I like one and don’t like the other. I’m so visual; I wish I could just snap my fingers and live Photoshop different hardwoods into my house.

I showed him a lot of photos tonight. He’s going to send me some other photos too.

I definitely want to change out the newel. Maybe all of that while we’re at it, but definitely the newel. Mine is too wimpy and small-looking.

Dlm would you mind posting a photo of your flooring?

@sheeisback - I won't be home till next week - glad to get photos then if it's not too late for you. My floors are white oak. If I had wanted a mid to dark stain I would have considered red oak but a light stain would have been fighting with the natural warmth of the wood. Rift and quarter they are lovely but I wanted the full grain movement to hide the oops of life. Never priced them but assume they are considerably more. Do you currently have rugs or plan to have rugs?

It won't be too late.

I have a couple of jute rugs. I'd like to get sisal. I like pattern rugs but i'm not sure I could commit to a large one. Like sarouk and heriz. I'll most likely layer a smaller one over sisal,

I doubt we'll go with rift and quarter. The more I look at the photos, I do like more movement than that.

Lots of decisions to make and none of them easy - nor inexpensive. Seeing an actual sample is important and in your own home too. When we moved we replaced the hardwood floors and went to the flooring store to see large samples. The showroom had finished 5' x 5' sections on the floor and along the wall which I found really helpful. Then we took a few smaller pieces home to think about. It took me a while to decide and we're happy with what we chose.

We replaced all the baseboards. The first contractor suggested leaving them in place and butting the new boards up to them. But that wold have made them look short and silly so we had them removed and installed new ones.

As DLM pointed out you need to consider the baseboard in relation to ceiling, door and window trim.

Good luck with your decision making. It takes fortitude

@sheeisback - Sorry for the delay - I came home with a case of the creeping crud - little kid germs are no joke :-/

Took pics in a few different locations at different times of day. The paper gives you a white base to use as an adjustment - if it doesn't look white but looks gray or yellow or blue on your phone or computer then you know the floor color isn't showing as accurate either. Also shows natural variations in oak grain - color differences will exist whether it's natural or stained - unless it's a VERY dark stain it will not be monotone. That's part of the beauty to me but not everyone feels that way. This is 4" white oak select. Knots are very few and tiny - penny for reference. Any knots should be tight

Hope this helps with your decision.

Hi Shee! No advice but just wanted to say hi!

No advice either but welcome back! (I hope you’re back!)

Dlm - I'm sorry you weren't feeling well. Thank you so much for posting those. And the paper... yes, very helpful! It's very pretty.

Bestyears & Kswl - Hi! I'm back. Not able to get on here as much as I'd like, and it isn't helping that I can't seem to post from my phone. Photos don't finish uploading. Then it tells me I need to log back in and that my password is incorrect. The Pro thing is still by my name, too. Apparently it's nothing I did, and Houzz is working on it.

I'm still waiting on hardwood quotes. We want to do an addition off the back of the kitchen area and a few other things in a year or two. At the rate this is going, I guess we should start getting that rolling now!

I suspect you know this, but the wood will also change color quite a bit over time. I have white oak that has turned very golden in the 10 years we have had it. The areas under rugs are more like the original color, but the sunlit areas are that golden/leaning orange that bothers some people. Not me, I kind of like warm oak hues. But I get a chuckle when people pick white oak thinking it won't go golden on them. It sure can anyway....

The color of mine now is the same as your inspo pictures, but it didn't look like that on installation.

For whatever any of that is worth. 😆🤷‍♀️

Ally thanks for the feedback. Do you know what finish is on it?

The floors were installed toward the very end of our new house build, about 12 years ago now. Unfortunately I was nearly clinically insane toward the end of the build - it was a complicated fiasco, LOL! - and sadly I honestly don't remember what they were finished with. I was more focused on what color I wanted them to be, rather than the finishing technique, you know? Which is funny now in hindsight, because the color they have turned into is not really anything like what they first were....so I wasted a lot of time for nothing, I guess. Again, LOL.

If it's important to you, I'd ask your hardwood guy if there's a way to minimize the photosensitivity. Mr. Google just told me all hardwoods are at least somewhat photosensitive, with oak apparently being sort-of the middle of the pack and that yes, certain finishing techniques will impacts it too.

Here's a photo to show what I'm yammering on about. The darker section is clearly usually hidden under an area rug, and is more like what their original color was after they were first finished. I think I remember them being more tan and less brown than in this pic, but again, who knows if my ~12 year old memory is even accurate.

I'm sure your hardwood guy will know way more than me. It never even occured to me to think about color changes down the road. Fortunately I'm fine with golden oak tones, so it's fine in the grand scheme of things - just funny that I remember thinking I wanted light brown-ish, and ended up with golden oak anyway.

Hi shee and welcome back. We did site finished, white oak when we had our 120 year old home restored after a house fire. We went with the taller baseboards because it was period appropriate. I would consider that when choosing (either based on the age of your home or how you decorate it).

We went with an oil rather than coating like polyurethane and honestly, I regret it. I did a lot of research and pushed our contractor to find someone experienced in applying the oil because I just had to have it. I absolutely love the colour, but one thing I didn't read about in any of the reviews was how badly it shows prints. I used to be able to wash or wipe the floors and they would stay looking good for ages. With the oil, the very first time they are walked on (doesn't matter if it is socks, slippers, or barefeet), it shows and looks dirty.

The other thing is that water marks it badly unless wiped up right away. We don't have a lot of this, but our friends used oil and then got a new puppy. They said it left a mark everywhere puppy had accidents even if they did wipe up right away. We only have a few marks like where the Christmas tree stand leaked and under our dining table. We are very vigilant. However, scratches are easier to fix than on a poly floor.

Hope this helps!

Ally - Thank you for the info and photo! I do want to ask about the photosensitivity. I love sunshine, but it can be harsh on everything.

Daisey! - So you used an oil and not an oil-based poly? Oh my, the footprint thing would bother me. And we are all very sloppy at the kitchen sink with water. I'm definitely going to need a long rug, and I'm going to need to figure out another solution for our hand towel. Also, the pets. For cats, I'm down to one (my elderly black-and-white tuxedo) and we have a Cavalier now. Normally, anything new seems to become the target.

I purchased a jute rug a few years ago and immediately sprayed it with 303 Fabric Guard. Not even 12 hours later, one of the cats got sick on it. It was protected, thankfully! The Fabric Guard is amazing stuff - water just beads up.

Thanks for the tip on the fabricguard. We just bought new area rugs and I've been worried - especially about the one in the kitchen.

Yes, we used Rubio monocoat (oil finish) and our friends used Osmos. I think the Rubio protects better than the Osmos and, again, I do love the look of it, just not a fan of having to wipe it down constantly especially in the front hall. We have cork in our kitchen, so not sure how the oiled hardwood would hold up there, but I'm guessing not great.

Love the cats, but we put our male cat on prozac about 6 months ago. Best decision ever. I honestly spent a small fortune on urine destroyers and years of my life cleaning up after him. The deal breaker was when my daughters' came home for a visit and he was so excited to see them he peed in their suitcases. Sheesh.