Ask Ken: How Can I Find New Hardwood Floors that Match My Old Floors?
Ken's Quick Answer:
"Previously, matching old and new hardwood floors was a real mess. Thankfully, we now have a more elegant solution by offering a huge variety of pre-finished hardwoods that match old-fashioned oak strip floors."
Ken's In-Depth Answer:
Today, I want to talk to you about the old-fashioned 2 1/4" wide oak strip floor. In some older houses, people already have narrow strip flooring down, and then suddenly they want to do another room.
Here's the problem: They've got a wood floor that's been down for a while. Like all wood, it changes color over time. Now they're gonna put a new floor down and they expect it to match. So what do you do?
What we used to tell people is to go out and get 2 1/4" unfinished red oak flooring. Then we'd put it down and you'd finish all your floors at once so that everything matches. Obviously, that can be expensive, inconvenient, and a real mess.
"The next time you want to add on a room to match an old 2 1/4" or 3 1/4" wood floor, ask your showroom to find a species that comes in a number of different pre-finished stain colors. If you find something that's a match it will save you a lot of mess and fuss."
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So we came up with another idea. In the video above, I show a flooring sample of a pre-finished red oak floor that is already stained. We have many similar examples from a variety of brands with countless different stain colors. Very often we'll find one that's very, very close to the color that the original wood has changed into.
We've done a number of add-ons this way and it looks great. It keeps you from having to re-finish all your floors (and all the mess and fuss that goes along with it.) So the next time you want to add on a room with a 2 1/4" or 3 1/4" wood floor, find a species that comes in a number of different stain colors. Chances are, whether it's a honey color, a saddle color, or something similar, that you'll find a floor that will match your old oak floor.
If you have any questions about matching old and new hardwood floors, don't hesitate to give us a call at 401-214-0285 or visit our showroom."
About Ken: Ken Fain is the co-owner of Island Carpet in Middletown, RI and a floorcovering veteran of more than 40 years. His popular 'Ask Ken' video series answers common flooring questions on a variety of topics. It has reached thousands of viewers on both YouTube and Facebook.