TIPS FOR STAINING & DISTRESSING ANTIQUE WOOD FLOORS

Spring Newsletter also available as a printable PDF.

If you want your antique wood floor to look old right away. . . here are some tips to make sure that the color on the samples matches the color of your floor.

CHOOSING A COLOR

When testing a stain color on wood, it’s important to have samples that have been sanded with the same sanding schedule as your flooring professional. As an example of a sanding sequence, the floor could be sanded with 60-grit, then 80-grit, and finally ‘screened’ with 120-grit. Ask your flooring professional to provide some ‘sanded’ samples for you to try out stains.

• If the person helping you choose a stain is someone other than the flooring professional, ask them to document the procedure they used to apply the stain. For example, if you need to apply the stain thickly and let it sit for 10 minutes before wiping it off, then the same procedure needs to be followed at the jobsite. Choose a procedure that can be used to complete large areas such as your floor.
• There are many different types of stains. A heavily pigmented stain often works well when applied directly to Antique Heart Pine. If using another type of stain, you may find it best to condition the wood first and then ‘float’ on the stain over the sealer to avoid having the stain take differently on the lighter and darker portions of the wood.

DISTRESSING TECHNIQUES

Distressing techniques can vary widely. Here are some ideas to add some sculpture to your floor:

• Handscraping involves using a slightly curved scraper blade that is pulled down the length of the board. Various techniques can be used to achieve a variety of appearances. Handscraping can result in the finish wearing off on the high spots, so you may want to use a true oil finish that may not offer much protection but is easily repaired. Also, pre-finished handscraped floors usually require beveled edges and ends.
• A few of the handscraping patterns that can be done prior to installation include:
  • Footworn: a slightly undulating pattern that resembles a floor that has been walked on for hundreds of years.
  • Handscraped: shorter and more frequent scraping knife marks than ‘footworn’ for a more textured look.
  • Brushed: as though a wire brush had been applied down the length of the board…accentuates the grain pattern.
  • Band sawn: circular saw marks and some rough texture on the face of the board.

Post installation distressing techniques include beating the wood with hammers and chains or walking on it with metal golf cleats. You can also ‘handscrape’ an installed wood floor onsite, though it generally adds a good bit more to the cost than handscraping each board before installation.

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We are more than glad to help with any samples you might need if you do not find what you are looking for on our website. Best wishes for the wood floor of your dreams.

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