# Does White Oak Naturally Darken with Age?



## Lovegasoline (Sep 27, 2009)

I am curious if white oak naturally darkens with age and/or exposure to UV and if so, how profound a change is it generally?

To the best of my knowledge, I've never worked white oak nor do I own anything made from it. However, I live on top of it, as all the floors in my very large 1920's apartment are made from white oak. 

Recently my white oak parquet dining room wood floor was replaced with new raw select white oak parquet flooring. Additionally, about half of my apartment is also going to be sanded and refinished. 
Most of the white oak floors here have 17 year old polyurethane and thus are heavily ambered and darkened. A fantastic high-end water base floor finish (Bona Kemi Traffic) is being used. Before the finish went down I was rushed to make a decision on the stain. So, early in morning, with no natural light, tired and tunnel-visioned on the task without taking into account my furniture, matching the other floors, or an overall look...I made up a mix of stain. The stain is Bona Drifast (fast drying oil base) and the mix I made was 4 parts 'Natural' and 1 part Rosewood. The natural is pretty much a clear oil stain and the rosewood added some very slight hardly perceptible red tint (I used too little of the Rosewood). The end result is the dining room floor doesn't match or compliment ANY of my furniture (!) and is to me, an unattractive, lifeless tan color. Gah! Maybe I’ll get used to it. 

In any case, in order to go forward with the color matching (if I attempt it) and the next wave of staining, I’d be appreciative of any feedback on tone and/or hue shifts expected of the oak as it ages.

Thanks a bunch.


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## Julian the woodnut (Nov 5, 2008)

The answer is no, white oak doesn't darken much at all with age.


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## Gerry KIERNAN (Apr 20, 2007)

You might be able to darken the floor that is done by applying another coat of finish with a compatible stain mixed into it.

Gerry


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## red (Sep 30, 2008)

Julian the woodnut said:


> The answer is no, white oak doesn't darken much at all with age.


It does darken with age. I have white oak floors in my house and when I rolled up an area rug from under the dining room table, you could see where the area rug was without a doubt. This was after less than three years living here. I now have all the area rugs removed so things can somewhat catch up. 

Red


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

I bet the finish darkened Red, I am with Julian white oak wood will not significantly change in color just with age. Other factors like exposure to the elements (outside) will change it to a grey though, but on the floor I don't expect the wood to change other than get dirty/finish turn amber.


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## Lovegasoline (Sep 27, 2009)

Thanks for the replies. 
Good to know the white oak is fairly stable in tone with age, as on the one hand it will make color decisions easier.

I think at this point, my interest is in slightly shifting the hue warmer, in a slight cherry/rosewood type direction.

Yes, applying another topcoat w/tone is maybe an potential option, although I wonder how close of a match of the already finished floor with a toned top coat would look compared with adjacent wood floors that are simply stained a warmer color from the get go. ALSo, I'd have to find a compatible dye or tinting color...the stain I'm using is oil base and the finish is waterbase. 

Perhaps I'll just stain the other floors with the same stain mixture, but add a higher percentage of the warmer 'rosewood' stain...maybe 3-to-1 or 2-to-1 instead of the original 4-to-1 mix. Then, I can either just live with the different hue/saturation, or make an effort at a later date to tone the dining room a notch warmer. 

Hopefully I will not drive myself too crazy! LOL. 
I just want my woodworking/furniture to really shine with the right floor color...it seems that floors and wall paint dominate a room's color sort of like the foundation of the room.


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