What is a good white wash stain on oak


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Old 11-27-04, 09:55 PM
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What is a good white wash stain on oak

I am refinishing a Mannington engineered oak floor consisting of 3" planks with micro-beveled edges. I want to try and repoduce the origninal factory finish which is what I would call a heavy white wash covered with a urethane finish. I tested a scrap left from the original installation; first sanding off about 1/16" to smooth bare wood (the finest paper used being 150) and then applying MiniWax's #260 pickled oak stain, whisch is oil based. I wiped a liberal amount of stain on with a rag and let it sit for 10 minutes before wiping the board off with a clean rag. Unfortunately, the wood didn't look much different than another test section stained with Varathane's natural stain. It almost looks like bare wood.

I will try a second application tomorrow, but if it doesn't whiten what should I try? Thanks in advance for any help that anyone migth offer.
 
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Old 11-08-09, 05:32 AM
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How do you get the "old stain" and urethane out of the bevel?

I can't help you out with the stain, as our white washed oak floors are over 18 years old and we are in the process of trying to figure out how to refinsih them. Sanding them down to remove the bevel isn't an option and we just don't know how to get the "yellowed" old stain and urethane out of the micro bevel area. If we try to just surface sand and restain, there will be significant color diffence in the bevels (I'm sure). Any suggestions?
 
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Old 12-04-09, 09:25 PM
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We also have a white washed oak floor, about 18 years old! Must have been a popular wood choice then. We love it, but it's time to refinish as there are lots of scratches etc.

I've had 4 contractors here for quotes and only one said he'd applied a white wash stain before. The others say we can try a test patch after sanding the floors to get rid of the varnish, or finish on them now. I've been told that using a watered down white paint is much cheaper than stain, the idea being you apply the watered down paint, wait a few minutes and then wipe it off so the white pigment sinks in the grain but you still have the wood look, (it won't look painted). But is this just a cheap way to do it and will it look cheap?

Also, once it's stained, how many coats of sealer are needed and how many coats of finish? Can I use water based products?

Thanks in advance for any advice on this!

Dina
 
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Old 12-04-09, 09:39 PM
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We also have a white washed oak floor, about 18 years old! Must have been a popular wood choice then. We love it, but it's time to refinish as there are lots of scratches etc.

I've had 4 contractors here for quotes and only one said he'd applied a white wash stain before. The others say we can try a test patch after sanding the floors to get rid of the varnish, or finish on them now. I've been told that using a watered down white paint is much cheaper than stain, the idea being you apply the watered down paint, wait a few minutes and then wipe it off so the white pigment sinks in the grain but you still have the wood look, (it won't look painted). But is this just a cheap way to do it and will it look cheap?

Also, once it's stained, how many coats of sealer are needed and how many coats of finish? Can I use water based products?

Thanks in advance for any advice on this!

Dina
 
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Old 12-05-09, 04:43 AM
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Welcome to the forums!

Years ago we used to take oil base enamel undercoater and thin it down to make a white wash or pickle stain. I think we cut it in half with thinner but don't remember for sure. In later years we always used what the paint store had to offer [mixed/tinted at the store]

Generally it takes 3 coats of poly to get a good looking finish. Oil base poly dries harder than latex but will yellow the stain some, more as time passes. Waterbased polys won't yellow.

If you can't sand thru the bevel on the prefinished flooring about all you can do is pick a finish that would be compatible with the unremoved finish in the joints.
 
 

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