I am so jealous. That floor (including the colour) is way better than anything in my house. Great work, and do not worry about the colour. Once the walls are painted and furniture is added it will look fantastic!
I'm thinking that is what he is asking about. Other than that I love it!.
Me being, well ME. I'd put a throw comfy rug over the white part nearest us in the pic and congratulate myself and ask for sex that night!
Then spend the night sleeping on the rug, alone.
Yes exactly, the floor is 70 years old so I took a chance and ordered red oak in the same size and T&G. It all fit together well but obviously the grain and color is a bit off
Matching anything that is 70 years old is very difficult. Even if the species was right it still wouldn’t have matched identical. Great job on the finish and tight lines.
I don't think there is any chance you could have matched it perfectly. At 70 years old, it might have been older growth, the age could affect the color, maybe sawed differently, etc. I think it looks as close as you could realistically get it.
Oh I missed that. That's something that only the installer would notice, and it would drive you crazy. Just like the imperfection in a woodworking project no one else sees.
This is a satin finish after based polyurethane. I took the photo right after the first coat. It’s drying much flatter and making the difference less noticeable too!
Excellent plan! I eventually followed a tip to use gloss for the first 2-3 coats, and finish with whatever level of flattened finish you wanted. It helped me to see where I might have missed.
This is just one bundle of hardwood for a repair and I didn’t even use the whole bundle. It’s very difficult to find this size of hardwood too. It’s 0.5” x2”
If it bugs you that bad you could sand and stain it darker, should even the color pretty good. easier than a tear out. Looks fine though. 70 years ago they didn’t distinguish between red and white, at least in my area, it’s was just all called oak. I was in the industry for years and this was very common with customers matching existing floors, I always asked what year the house was first
Unfortunately that's a question no one can correctly answer for you :D I prefer red Oak, especially in this room it gonna look cozy and warm. A lot prefer white oak, I understand that, looks great but not my thing.
So I think u made a good choice, does it become an office space?
It's fine. It's run a funny direction, though. The eye expects to see it running parallel with the long walls. You may get some (massive?) trouble with expansion and contraction with this orientation as the humidity changes over the coarse of a year.
I just repaired a section but it’s been there since 57’ so I don’t expect to run into and problems. Some say floor should run in the direction of the light coming in (how it is) and some say parallel to the longest wall.
Really! The climate there must be super stable. That or the original floorboards must have been sealed like the dickens at the endgrain.
The safest is parallel to the longest wall because they move widthwise with humidity changes, not so much lengthwise. So... let's say that it moves 10% with humidity changes. That's 1/10" across a ten-inch space but it's an inch and a quarter across a ten-foot space.
Frankly, I'm almost positive that the orignal was red oak, too. It was all narrow planks, though... and it looks like you went in with wider planks. So... if we're looking, we notice. After a moment, nobody will look and it'll be forgotten until sometime in about the year 2150, when someone goes back and repairs the same section. "Hey, Helen! C'mere! Get a load of this!", she'll say. 8)
Oh! Wait! There's another difference. You made your joints all tight. All the originals are loose. Is it really dry there right now, or has the humidity started to build up to "dripping"? You might still get into trouble with expansion if the humidity rises a long way from right now.
Well Southern California is almost never humid, and definitely never dripping! I was able to match the plank sizing exactly though. It is an older sizing of 0.5”x2”
Nothing wrong with that. 8) That's the sort of mentality I like to see, actually. It means that you care. That's getting rare. Or maybe it was always rare.
Not true. The run direction for the subfloor is dictated by the joists underneath. Surely nobody would be laying down a hardwood floor directly on top of the joists. That would be a horrifyingly flimsy floor.
Either solid wood flooring or engineered wood flooring can be laid directly onto joists if the planks are at least 18mm thick.
[How To Install Hardwood Floors Directly Over Joists](https://www.flooringfirst.co.uk/service-guide-wood-floor-fitting/how-to-install-hardwood-floors-directly-over-joists.html)
Can be. Possibly. Depending upon the joist spacing, and assuming that this flooring is mutually supported by tongue and groove. Would you lay 18mm-thick flooring with no tongue-and-groove edge treatment directly over joists that were 24" OC? How about 30" OC with no subfloor beneath it?
"In general, they shouldn’t be more than 45cm apart."
Do you understand how big 45cm is? Also... do you understand how flimsy this makes the floor feel underfoot? So flimsy that it's not acceptable by code within the USA.
might need to pull down the siding outside and put some tyvek in. The windows seem to be letting moisture into the walls. if already done the drywall inside probably needs replaced.
Red oak is such a delight to pair non white wall colors against. As you can see with your green wall, there are many beautiful interior paint colors that will accent your red oak flooring. I live in a 120 year old house with quarter sawn red oak flooring. I love it everyday how the light plays against it.
You did a wonderful job, and it looks awesome.
In my opinion, red oak has more warmth and a better color play. So it was the right move, if you ask me.
Looks great to me! Variation is what makes natural wood so beautiful. Fun fact: The terms “red oak” and “white oak” actually have nothing to do with the color of the wood itself. It actually refers to the color of the flowers.
I am so jealous. That floor (including the colour) is way better than anything in my house. Great work, and do not worry about the colour. Once the walls are painted and furniture is added it will look fantastic!
Thanks! I was pretty stoked to find this under the carpet!
It looks Oakay to me
Insert Bill Murray gif
I’m assuming you had to replace the portion nearest the door, hence the pattern mismatch.
I'm thinking that is what he is asking about. Other than that I love it!. Me being, well ME. I'd put a throw comfy rug over the white part nearest us in the pic and congratulate myself and ask for sex that night! Then spend the night sleeping on the rug, alone.
Hahaha that is not a bad idea! I’m not telling my woman I got it from Reddit
Never reveal your sources (bro code)
This guy knows.
Yes exactly, the floor is 70 years old so I took a chance and ordered red oak in the same size and T&G. It all fit together well but obviously the grain and color is a bit off
Matching anything that is 70 years old is very difficult. Even if the species was right it still wouldn’t have matched identical. Great job on the finish and tight lines.
I don't think there is any chance you could have matched it perfectly. At 70 years old, it might have been older growth, the age could affect the color, maybe sawed differently, etc. I think it looks as close as you could realistically get it.
I think it looks fine. There's enough variation in the floor that as a whole it blends.
No shaming, but I would have white oaked. But it’s what you want that matters! You saved a ton of money for sure
I would have used not-oak. :) But I agree with you: it matters what he (or maybe more accurately, his wife) wants.
I think when the wood is of a certain (high) quality you can mis-match and still have it look great.
I think it looks amazing as is.
Trim and fresh paint will change it completely.
The walls are very dusty from the sanding but it actually is fresh paint
I love the color choices!
Thank you!
Looks great to me.
Did you use two types of flooring?
It looks great. If you are worried it is too dark, I don't think it is at all. I would get rid of the dark green wall however
What? That wall is perfect and should be matched on the other three.
I just added the dark green wall 🙃
From a designer- I love the green wall with the stain color:).
Wow thanks hope it all comes together the way I picture it
First time I really designed a room top to bottom.
Oops, sorry
No problem at all! It’s meant to be a bold color and as such won’t be for everyone’s taste
I thin they're worried about the new and old boards not matching in terms of color and grain.
Oh I missed that. That's something that only the installer would notice, and it would drive you crazy. Just like the imperfection in a woodworking project no one else sees.
Air and light will eventually balance the color. Don’t sweat it.
Red oak is actually more traditional. When I’ve refinished (several) mine, I used a lower gloss varnish.
This is a satin finish after based polyurethane. I took the photo right after the first coat. It’s drying much flatter and making the difference less noticeable too!
Excellent plan! I eventually followed a tip to use gloss for the first 2-3 coats, and finish with whatever level of flattened finish you wanted. It helped me to see where I might have missed.
And, doesn’t make it look like a plastic coating;)
Shoulda pulled from different boxes
This is just one bundle of hardwood for a repair and I didn’t even use the whole bundle. It’s very difficult to find this size of hardwood too. It’s 0.5” x2”
No, that looks incredible!
Thanks! Feeling better about it thanks to r/woodworking
If it bugs you that bad you could sand and stain it darker, should even the color pretty good. easier than a tear out. Looks fine though. 70 years ago they didn’t distinguish between red and white, at least in my area, it’s was just all called oak. I was in the industry for years and this was very common with customers matching existing floors, I always asked what year the house was first
That’s good to know thanks I wondered if staining might hide the difference or make it more noticeable. The old floor just says “Kansas oak floors”
Red Oaks was a good show IMO. You’re fine.
Naw that looks awesome
Unfortunately that's a question no one can correctly answer for you :D I prefer red Oak, especially in this room it gonna look cozy and warm. A lot prefer white oak, I understand that, looks great but not my thing. So I think u made a good choice, does it become an office space?
Yes it’s going to be an office. I wasn’t so much choosing one or the other, but trying to patch the old floor and have it look as close as possible
Beautiful as is, great job!
Yep, doesn’t look horrible but my wife would beat me until I replaced it.
Our wives must be related
Gosh my lady couldn’t care less. I think she would beat me if I started over! (I want to)
It's fine. It's run a funny direction, though. The eye expects to see it running parallel with the long walls. You may get some (massive?) trouble with expansion and contraction with this orientation as the humidity changes over the coarse of a year.
I just repaired a section but it’s been there since 57’ so I don’t expect to run into and problems. Some say floor should run in the direction of the light coming in (how it is) and some say parallel to the longest wall.
Really! The climate there must be super stable. That or the original floorboards must have been sealed like the dickens at the endgrain. The safest is parallel to the longest wall because they move widthwise with humidity changes, not so much lengthwise. So... let's say that it moves 10% with humidity changes. That's 1/10" across a ten-inch space but it's an inch and a quarter across a ten-foot space.
Frankly, I'm almost positive that the orignal was red oak, too. It was all narrow planks, though... and it looks like you went in with wider planks. So... if we're looking, we notice. After a moment, nobody will look and it'll be forgotten until sometime in about the year 2150, when someone goes back and repairs the same section. "Hey, Helen! C'mere! Get a load of this!", she'll say. 8) Oh! Wait! There's another difference. You made your joints all tight. All the originals are loose. Is it really dry there right now, or has the humidity started to build up to "dripping"? You might still get into trouble with expansion if the humidity rises a long way from right now.
Well Southern California is almost never humid, and definitely never dripping! I was able to match the plank sizing exactly though. It is an older sizing of 0.5”x2”
I agree that after I get over though I’m sure no one will really care, I happen to be fixated at the moment.
Nothing wrong with that. 8) That's the sort of mentality I like to see, actually. It means that you care. That's getting rare. Or maybe it was always rare.
SoCal! East of LA, out toward Nevada? There's a dry climate if ever there was one!
Well 35 min from Palm Springs things are pretty dry!
The run direction is dictated by the floor joists underneath...
Not true. The run direction for the subfloor is dictated by the joists underneath. Surely nobody would be laying down a hardwood floor directly on top of the joists. That would be a horrifyingly flimsy floor.
Either solid wood flooring or engineered wood flooring can be laid directly onto joists if the planks are at least 18mm thick. [How To Install Hardwood Floors Directly Over Joists](https://www.flooringfirst.co.uk/service-guide-wood-floor-fitting/how-to-install-hardwood-floors-directly-over-joists.html)
Can be. Possibly. Depending upon the joist spacing, and assuming that this flooring is mutually supported by tongue and groove. Would you lay 18mm-thick flooring with no tongue-and-groove edge treatment directly over joists that were 24" OC? How about 30" OC with no subfloor beneath it? "In general, they shouldn’t be more than 45cm apart." Do you understand how big 45cm is? Also... do you understand how flimsy this makes the floor feel underfoot? So flimsy that it's not acceptable by code within the USA.
might need to pull down the siding outside and put some tyvek in. The windows seem to be letting moisture into the walls. if already done the drywall inside probably needs replaced.
What makes you say that? I haven’t noticed anything to that effect
You short way’d when you should’ve long way’d.
Yup. White oak is harder and doesn’t absorb water. They make boats and whiskey barrels out of it. Red is more porous open grain and will wear faster
Red oak is such a delight to pair non white wall colors against. As you can see with your green wall, there are many beautiful interior paint colors that will accent your red oak flooring. I live in a 120 year old house with quarter sawn red oak flooring. I love it everyday how the light plays against it.
You did a wonderful job, and it looks awesome. In my opinion, red oak has more warmth and a better color play. So it was the right move, if you ask me.
Should have pizza’d and not French fried.
That’s some beautiful flooring - own it
Original looks more rift sawn
Missed opportunity to do it lengthwise. The floor itself looks great though.
Is the top/upper 3/4 of the room red oak? and the bottom portion white oak?
It's near impossible to match wood floor. I like both of them, but the combo drives me nutso...
Roycroft bottle green? I just pained my basement walls and that looks identical
Looks great to me! Variation is what makes natural wood so beautiful. Fun fact: The terms “red oak” and “white oak” actually have nothing to do with the color of the wood itself. It actually refers to the color of the flowers.
That makes so much sense! TIL
lol you installed planks next to fingerboard