We know that weathered oak can completely transform your wooden flooring. This is why you might consider staining.
But there is always a risk when it comes to doing this. The final result can often be very different from what you were expecting.
Once you stain your floor with weathered oak stain, it could end up being much darker.
Red oak is a very popular type of flooring used in a lot of different home settings. This includes your kitchen, living room, or bedroom.
It is also used to construct cabinets, moldings and veneers. But you should know that staining this type of wood will change its color.
What happens if you apply weathered oak stain to red oak? How does the color change? Will it blotch or streak? How does a weathered oak stain affect other types of wood?
Well, we have a complete guide to how weathered oak staining will affect red oak.
A weather oak staining will usually bring out the darkness of your red oak wood.
It will also emphasize the knots and streaks on its surface. It brings the red tones out, changing it from a pale red to a deeper red-orange color.
What Is Red Oak?
Red oak is a very common type of hardwood. It is often found in American forests. It is also one of the most popular types of hardwood flooring currently on the market.
A lot of people use this hardwood because they like the elegant effect that it has. The color palette ranges between light brown, red-brown and deep pink.
This makes it great for lighter walls and living spaces where there is a lot more natural lighting.
This wood is very easy to sand, which is great if you want that smooth finish. It also stains very well, not succumbing to blotching or streaks before it dries.
This has a natural wood look, ideal for rustic or vintage style furnishings. This will also go well with brass fittings.
This is a workable piece of wood. You can saw and shape it into various positions as well as providing you with a lot of stability.
This wood does not scratch, but it is susceptible to dents. It can also succumb to water damage. This is because it absorbs a lot of excess moisture. This results in ugly black stains throughout the grain.
There are also harder woods available like hickory and white oak. So if you want that extra level of support for your wooden beams or flooring in your living space, try one of these woods.
What Is Weathered Oak Stain?
Weathered oak stain is usually used to darken a piece of wood, whether it is furniture or flooring. It brings out the gray tones in a lot of hardwood varieties to get that distressed and vintage look.
The main reason you might weather your wooden floor is to give it a more homely and lived-in feel.
It will often give your wood that faded look, making the streaks and the knots look less defined. But, it will also bring out the darker portions of your wood.
This is great if you are looking for that antique-style effect.
How Does Weathered Oak Stain Affect Red Oak Wood?
This has the effect of drawing out some of the natural shades in this wood. It is a great wood stain for wooden or brass fittings in your home.
The one drawback of using weathered staining is that any scratches will appear more prominent. A good method of reducing the number of scratches on your stained red oak floor is to lay down carpeting.
Do this at any point where the furniture comes into contact with the floor.
Weathered oak stain is suitable for lots of different types of wood. This includes pine, maple, cherry and walnut.
Can You Achieve A Weathered Stain Affect With Other Stain Types?
Yes, you can blend various stains to recreate a weathered stain type of effect.
You can apply a lighter color of wood stain (Minwax early American or Provincial are both good options) first, making sure that you have it going in the same direction as the wood grain.
Once this coat is completely dry, then you can apply a much darker coat like Minwax Jacobean or Special Walnut across selected areas of your wood, again going in the same direction as the grain.
The final result of merging these two stains will be a textured effect that will be very similar to a weathered effect.
Once you have finished this, you can start to distress the wood.
This is the process of aging the wood itself. Take some sandpaper or steel wool and gently sand the surface and the corners of your wood.
You can also use a hammer to create some dents in the surface, although make sure you do not compromise the integrity of the wood.
Do not distress your red oak wood too much, as this could give it the effect of looking dirty and damaged. You want to stay on the right side of vintage.
Once you have distressed it enough, then apply a wax sealant over the top to prevent it from wearing down any further over time.
This sealant will also help to bring out some of the natural colors that you might have lost in the distressing process.
Conclusion
We hope that our brief guide to applying weathered oak stain to your red oak wood has helped give you a better idea of what the final product will look like.
You should make sure that the natural colors of the red oak wood are prominent, as the idea is not to fade the surface too much.
Make sure that you seal your wood after you have stained it, as this will protect it against scratches, dents and water damage.
This is a great type of wood for indoor and outdoor use, especially if you have vintage furniture