How Can I Make My New Oak Flooring Look Old?
13th Sep 2013 @ 16:41
Different styles, suit different people. Whilst some may prefer a very clean, modern look from their oak flooring. Others may prefer their oak floor to look as beaten up or as old as possible. So how can you make your unfinished oak flooring look as if it has been down for generations?
The first way a more aged look can be created is through the choice of oak flooring grade. Traditionally a grade with knots and shakes will create a more classical feel. With this in mind the barn or character grades are normally the grades of choice. Of course the more the floor is used, the more character will be created, only adding to its appeal.
A further popular choice when looking for that aged look, is choosing distressed oak flooring. Displaying the same range of knots and cracks as our standard character grade oak flooring, these distressed boards have been made to appear "singed". This gives the impression that they have been recovered from a derelict, burnt building. Depending on your personal preference this distressing can be done lightly, heavily or somewhere in the middle.
With the grade of oak flooring now chosen, the type of oak floor finish can also greatly add a feeling of age. Depending on your own preferences, any number of different styles of finishes can be applied. For example the Osmo Wood Wax Finish Transparent is available in such finishes as the Antique and Ebony (seen below).
Alternatively Blanchon also do their own range of hard wax oil colours, which can be seen in more detail by clicking here. A great way we have found to really create that "aged" look is to mix and match these hard wax oil colours.
One such example of this is combining the Walnut colour with the Black. This gives the walnut a much darker more distressed tone, and really brings out the grain of the oak. An example of this can be seen below.
As well as mixing and matching your hard wax oils to help create that aged look, there are also specific products that have been designed to do just that. One such product is the Blanchon Wood-Ageing Agent. Available in a number of different finishes, including the silver seen below, the wood-ageing agent has been specifically designed to age and patinate wood floors and panelling. The product will bring out the woods grain, creating an authentic aged feel.
If you would like to learn more on ways to age your oak flooring, please give us a call on 01538 304584.
2 Comments
New oak and pine stairs installed in my 1930
Lake cottage.. the floors were “finished once when I moved in.. many dogs, lots of construction.. I want to clean them up - but keep them “old looking”& blend in the new stairs
Dorothy McCarthy March 16, 2023 at 12:22pm
Hi Dorothy,
No problem, if the flooring was finished with an oiled finish, it may be worth taking a look at the following two products.
The Blanchon Soap for Oiled Wooden Floors ([link awaiting verification]) will help with the day to day cleaning of the floor.
To regenerate the surface, the Blanchon Universal Maintenance Oil ([link awaiting verification]) could be used.
Hope this helps.
Peak Oak March 17, 2023 at 9:19am
Add a comment