It appears to be maple.
Maple is very hard and doesn't take stain well - try it in an inconspicuous spot. Historically, to color maple, a dye was used because it is so hard.

What would you recommend if I am unable to stain this?

Help what do I do to these maple floors then? Can you still purchase a dye?

Dyes are available, but I prefer maple flooring left natural. Use a water based finish to avoid yellowing unless you like the gym floor look.

I have been quite happy with Streetshoe from Basic Coatings; Traffic is a comparable product. Those are two part finishes which are very durable and dry much faster than oil. Just remember to wait at least two weeks before using any rugs

Maple is notorious for taking a stain very badly. Water based is the way I would go, I agree with Linda.

The primary question is weather or not this floor has water damage and being said its over 80 years old is a good bet its 3/4 solid.
has the floor shown signs of warp or buckling
Ralph
Wailea Interiors Phoenix

There is no water damage to the floor.

3/4 inch solid how does that have an impact on what I am doing. Sorry I am a rookie

I added a dark walnut stain to the floor after lots of sanding and it looks like a 3 year old stained it! It is very blotchy and looks horrible.

You will need it redone by a professional. The walnut stain can be removed but its not a job for a DIY. What part of the country are you in?

I hope this was a test in a small inconspicuous spot. I would definitely consult a pro sooner rather than later.

Lisa,

I had to laugh when i saw your comment on how your stain came out as if a 3 year old did it as I tried sanding and staining my dining room table and came out with same problem and its not even maple. Poor table is still in the garage after 6 months.

Staining wood is not just a matter of removing the old finish (if a refinishing job), sanding, staining, and finishing. Almost every type of wood takes stain differently and how it takes it depends on how good or bad the prep work was. Sanding evenly is the most important step and most people don't understand how to sand correctly. What grits of sandpaper to use and to what level is different for different woods. It isn't just coarse, medium, and fine. Knowing how to prep different types of wood isn't something you learn overnight or from a book. It takes experience, success, and failures. For fine furniture finishes most of the work is sanding. Not just sanding the wood, but sanding the finish coats too.

Maple is a very difficult wood to get a nice finish on if you want to color it. Sanding is very important. The correct amount of sanding can eliminate some of the blotchiness. Sealing is necessary to get rid of more, and finally deciding what stain or dye to use is the rest of the puzzle. Dyes are more difficult to work with than stains and require a good technique gained from experience. Then your top coats will also add color. So.........

I would have a pro sand it down and then finish with a water based poly finish like Linda mentioned. Just leave it natural, trying to change the color is gonna be a pain.

I just called a flooring guy who said if any nails heads popping then it can't be refinished? Is this true

Yes. The nails would destroy the sand paper.

The nail heads should not be exposed. The nails/staples are installed at the tongue on a 45 degree angle. If the nails/staples are exposed, the floor needs to be replaced.

if your in the phoenix area, ill come take a look at no charge.

ralph@waileainteriors.com

Most floors will have some nails through the surface of the flooring, typically in the last row or two next to the wall where the flooring gun won't fit. If any of those are visible, we take a nail set and knock them down below the surface. It may be necessary to scan the floor after each sanding to see if there are any more nails sticking up.

If you have forced air, pull up a register and see how much wood remains above the tongue. You'll be able to see how much has been sanded by comparing the amount of wood above the tongue versus the amount below.

It looks like maple to me, if there are nails expose, I would say it needs to be replaced as well

Well there are a few nails popping up not many! I do know now that just because of a few nail heads popping does not mean I need a new floor! Again old home 3/4 inch thick floors. I am not interested in new floors. I am interested in keeping my home a heritage home. But wanna clean things up a bit. I live in Canada for all the US contractors that wanna give me a free quote!

Thanks so much Linda! You are the expert after much research!