Here's the sample of 3:1 neutral Peruvian tried today. Close but still a little warm.

Here's the sample of 3:1 neutral Peruvian tried today. Close but still a little warm.

Autocorrect messed that up sorry. That is provincial with neutral.

This is netral with medium brown (4:1). Looks close but I'm worried it's a little gold and the grain has a cooler contrast.

I know you are removing weathered oak, but I saw a really beautiful blend of 75% weathered oak and 25% classic gray. It was gorgeous. Definitely on the lighter side which I had given up on, Before that I was leaning towards 1 part Jacobean (or dark walnut) 1 part weathered oak, 1 part classic gray or 25%, 50%, 25%. I'm not thinking towards provincial just because I see red.

What did you decide on?

No decision yet unfortunately. I have tried so many samples I'm going crazy. I wish I could message you directly so we could exchange learnings. I'd love to see anything you like. I met with a designer today who recommends espresso with weathered oak or even trying medium brown with grey. Have you made any decisions?

We also went with Duraseal Rustic Beige and are very happy with way it turned out.

Kimberly, here's a sample you might like. My husband thinks the grain is too masked/ cloudy but I think it could work. It's a little on the Golden side of color though. It is 3 parts weathered oak (duraseal) one part sand dune (bona).

Kimberly did you go with the classic grey weathered oak blend? I'd love to see.

My friend just did 50/50 golden oak/neutral on red oak. Is this dated? I like that it's a bit darker than neutral on its own but don't want the floors to look like they're from the 80s.

kasmit, nope, not at all. very much 'in'. look at the Boho look. these floors are perfect for that.

This is straight Rustic Beige on Red Oak. It is light with a slight gray haze.

Still on the hunt for a soft light brown. I'm having the floor guy put more samples on tomorrow. I found this picture and the flooring company said it's red oak with a custom bona stain mix. Anyone have a guess how to get this color?

Here is 50% classic grey 50% special walnut on red oak floors

OK so I’m in the same exact predicament as you and I’ve been without a kitchen sense the end of July I had to fire a guy. I hired a new guy and I found out that using “pink blocker” (by a company name Ciranova) first then just using a natural over it is probably the best bet. unless you bleach the floors and then put weathered Oak over it.

I also was a little worried with it still possibly looking like that 90s looking floor. my flooring guy told me you will not get as many gold tones like 90s floors because that is from the poly that turns an amber color. So we may use a wax finish instead.

This is my sample board against my sanded Red Oak. That sample board was done two years old my flooring guy said. And if you look closely on the left-hand side of the sample board is a line. that line is where the pink blocker ends… it’s about 2 inches of board that has NO pink blocker.

Also the stool next to the sample is that wood that’s everywhere in the stores it’s a magnolia brand and the color is what I’m OK with achieving and it seems to match up pretty well. The more I think about how light I want my floors is where I also worry about losing that BoHo coziness and going to nautical.

jnakos thank you! Is that natural or just a poly? Or natural seal? I would love to see it on your floors. I am so nervous about the pink I would really like to find a way to achieve a light brown. I am about to fire my guy as well, I now know its important to find someone with a lot of experience going lighter with red oak floors.

kasmit, the one pic you asked about looks like this one. It's 3 coats of Nordic and one coat of Traffic HD

Did you see this post?

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6155964/has-anyone-used-bona-natural-seal-with-water-based-top-coat-on-red-oak

and this is a very long post with a lot of pics regarding Bona

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/4766317/bona-nordicseal-on-red-oak

Kasmit00
That sample board next to the stool is “Carinova pink blocker” used then Natural finish.

Still looking for the right stain color for my floors. For the flooring experts on here, what do you think this stain is? Golden Oak? It just doesn't have that super golden and monotone look that I have seen so often with Golden Oak so not sure. I am trying to avoid too pink, too orange or grey and prefer not to bleach or have to use a pink blocker so I am having to embrace the red oak.

Kimberly or jnakos79 what did you decide on? Can you show pictures? Everything on my floors looks orange or pink so I still don't have a path forward. I would die for a neutral light brown!

I’m still with living with unfinished floors. I have yet to find someone that doesn’t blow me off or that works with bona or Ciranova products to get what I’m looking for.

I’m still living without **

That pick is definitely not golden oak.

These are two red oak floors done that look nice. What was used is in the pic

I professionally paint and do home repairs, If you’d like someone to do it for you let me know!

Jnakos79 I'm in the same situation. My flooring guy has no interest in helping. Looking for a new person but it's the same with others. They have too much work in my area so they don't have to try for business. I keep seeing loba invisible, is it really any different than the bona products?

@kasmit00 I have natural red oak floors finished with the water-based bona product and they look so incredibly similar to so many of these lighter stained options - all except the really badly stained ones! I would recommend anyone who wants light wood red oak to just go natural. It's far less risky and likely you will end up with a very similar result as adding stain concoctions, but with less risk that you will amplify a weird undertone. It's also less expensive and has a much faster dry time - no stinky stain to wait on. My floors turned out to be super versatile and I think they are still on trend as long as the decor around them is right for the space and compliments all that warm color. I ended up removing all the other oak - trims, cabinets etc. and going white on those elements and the floor is a lovely warm compliment without looking 80s at all.

@kasmit00 I'm going through this now ! what did you end up w , love yo see thank you

I ended up doing three parts weathered oak and 1 part dark walnut. On red oak. Absolutely love it!!!

Kimberly can you post a picture please? Mine still aren't done.

Almost a year later my floors are still unfinished and I finally found a guy that’s going to bleach my floors twice and do exactly like all these wood flooring companies have posted all over Instagram! I’m glad I didn’t settle I’m glad I’m getting exactly what I want and they’re doing the exact process it’ll get me there

There are highly experienced floor people out there and bleaching floors with a A an B wood bleach solution is a possibility. so when flooring people tell you no people don’t do that …it’s simply because they just don’t want to!

@Almostdone21- I agree with the natural choice you’re probably 100% right about that! Cause if you have red oak floors there’s no way you can get away with not having the “red”out of red oak lol! the only way is bleach or just doing a clear.
Do you have a pic of your floors?

@Kimberlystanley I’d also love to see a pic

kasmit00 show us the finished look girl!!!!!

Agreed please show us what happened .

@Kimberly Stanley did you do your floors in the combo above? Jacobean, weathered oak, gray? My floors are being stained tomorrow and I'm doing something similar, but am a little worried they will turn out with red or too light. I'm going with 1/3 espresso, 1/3 weathered oak, 1/3 gray.

@kasmit00 Did you ever find the recipe for your post from last year with the beautiful soft "brown" floors? Looks like it was a screen shot with the flooring compan of Seattle Hardwood out of Mukilteo. Had my red oak floors done in weathered oak and they are still simply too pink. Flooring guys are the best since they are redoing to make me happy.

I followed this post when trying to chose a stain, in the end we went with Loba easy prime and Loba Supra 2k AT on red oak and I love it. They’re light and natural. Maybe a few boards with a tinge pink but I realized pink doesn’t bother me nearly as much as orange.

@Chris S - How did that combo work and come out? Did yours come out dark or were you able to achieve a warm brown?

@kasmit00 did you find resolution? in the same boat?

There's a relatively new product just for this from Bona called Red Out. I don't know why more people (especially flooring contractors) know about it.

I'm in this same predicament, and it will be my THIRD and last time I can try to get that soft brown color on red oak! @kastmit00 what did you end up doing? Please share if you have a chance!

I am about to add new red oak and refinish my existing red oak. (Would have gone white oak if I didn't already have red oak - though both are beautiful floors) My current floors have an oil based natural finish. As a result, they are now very amber colored. Can't wait to get that off! I think the yellow bothers we more than the red tones. Wood is by definition - warm. I am sensing that unless you go quite dark, some red will appear. I think any color anyone chooses is a personal choice and many factors come into play, including and not limited to lighting, furnishings, rugs, fabrics etc. As I have dark wood furniture, and have a NW facing home, I am in search of a light stain that works to neutralize the 'pink' some but I definitely do not want yellow. A stain with green in it - helps to neutralize the red. Duraseal has a color called Fruitwood that has green in it. Other companies of similar stains with green. It helps warm the red to more of a brown tone - but it does make the wood look a bit yellow. In doing a lot of research - and getting some samples, I found that adding some country white to the fruitwood lightens the yellow and keeps the red more brown. I found a 60/40 blend to still have a bit too much white for my liking - so I will try something closer to a 4:1 ratio of fruitwood and country white. I very much like the sample I have so far. The plank is light but not yellow nor white and the red is toned down. If you are looking for a light stain, this may be worth a try. Happy to share photos once the floors are done - in about 2 weeks time.

Since my last writing - my floor guys introduced me to Bona Natural. Bona has 5 sealers. Nordic (quite a bit of white in it), Natural, Classic (a bit golden), Amber and Intense. I am going to go with Natural. The floors look almost raw with it on. While many don’t like red oak - I don’t mind it because it is so varied. There is red and pink - yes, but there is also tan, and light browns and interesting grain. With red oak it seems, one will always see too much red or pink or honey depending on stain mix or one has to go dark to hide it all. Dark stains are beautiful but for us with a dog and kid and dark wood furniture, light floors hold up better and show fewer scratches. In the end - its a personal choice. Almost all natural wood floors are beautiful and everything blends well with furniture and rugs. The floors color changes with the light and furnishings

https://pin.it/1TwZGoAyW

Varathane Sandstone Sunbleached 1:1