Which Finish Applies? Limewash or Dark Stain on Your Timber Floor?
When it comes to staining timber floors, both dark stain and limewash finishes offer an attractive and elegant look. However, selecting the right stain and finish is a situation where most homeowners struggle. So, if you are stuck on choosing the right finish for your timber floorings, we are here to help you. Here are some possible conditions to help you make an informed decision about the right stain for your floors.
Timber Floor Species
To begin with, we will see the different Australian timber floor species that are easy to dark stain and limewash. Though both can be applied to any hardwood species except a few varieties, including Cypress pine and Radiata Pine, these stains look exceptionally gorgeous on certain wooden species.
The dark stain is easy to apply and looks great on Blackbutt, Spotted gum, Jarrah, and Baltic pine. On the other hand, limewash is easy to apply and looks great on European Oak, American Oak and Blackbutt. However, whatever your hardwood type is, make sure you contact a professional floor sanding and polishing company in Sydney to check your floors before selecting a suitable finish.
Existing Floor Conditions
Timber floors get worn out from regular usage and start looking damaged and bad after some years. Moreover, some hardwoods also have large knots, gum veins and grains. This is the major reason why many homeowners look for options to change the look of their wooden flooring by staining.
Sanding and staining your floors are the easiest way to change the look of the timber and fix any imperfections. It’s worth noting that a dark stain such as black Japan is an ideal solution to cover the wooden floor imperfections and markings.
If you are running on a tight budget and can’t support the cost of replacing your floorboards that have a lot of damage, then staining with dark stains or limewash is the ideal way to cover the flaws. These two types of finishes are great for hiding stains on the timber and other imperfections. All you’ll need is a professional timber sanding to even out the surface, then the finish will do the rest.
Removing Carpets
When you remove carpet from one part of the house or room, your exposed wooden floors may or may not match the other in the adjacent room. If the floorings mismatch, then staining is the best option instead of replacing the floorboards.
If the adjacent room flooring is naturally dark, then going for a dark stain is an economical option. It helps you save time and money rather than bleach or limewashing the entire flooring. However, if you want them to look lighter, your floor sanding and polishing professional can help you choose the right finish.
In some scenarios, challenges arise when trying to colour match two relatively close wooden species, such as Blackbutt and Tallowood or Jarrah and Sydney Bluegum. It’s because they look similar, and thus staining them takes effort.
Prepare Samples
If none of the above conditions applies to you and you simply want to give your flooring a brand-new look, then the best way to decide is to prepare samples. Ask your hardwood floor sanding professional to apply different colour samples, both dark stain and limewash, directly on your flooring. Once you see the results, you will be able to decide on the colour and the possible outcome.
Do you have more queries or need our help on wooden floor sanding and staining in Sydney? Contact our expert team at Abacus Flooring.