Will My Oak Flooring Change Colour Over Time?
7th Feb 2017
You've just completed laying your brand new oak floor, and applied your chosen finish. You can see how the oak flooring looks now, but should you expect it to continue looking the same colour for years to come?
The short answer is no. Over time oak flooring, and indeed wooden flooring in general, will naturally change colour. This can occur through natural wear and tear, and natural sunlight hitting the floor. Oak flooring in general will darken and mellow as time progresses. The image below shows a heavy traffic area after 15 years of wear and tear.
So how can you combat this?
Well firstly its important to note that many find this effect to be part of the beauty of oak flooring, with the "worn in" look often preferred over the freshly laid look. So much so, that many oak floor finishing products have colours available to replicate this worn in look. For example; in the Blanchon Hard Waxoil - Colours range the Smoked Oak and Noir give oak flooring a natural darkened effect.
The main factor that can influence a colour change is the type of finish chosen. It is important to do your research prior to applying a finish, to ensure that you opt for a high quality finish.
Many of these finishes have their own range of cleaning products available - such as the Blanchon Natural Soap. The great advantage of products like this, is that not only are they designed to clean the timber, but they also boost the protection of the wood floor with each use. Likewise there are a number of maintenance products available - designed for when the oak flooring begins to mellow. These products will “bring life” back into your oak floor finish.
If you keep your range of furniture in the same areas all of the time, it is only natural that certain areas of your floor will begin to wear more significantly then others. The occasional adjustment of your furniture can lead to fresh areas of use.
Eventually there may come a time when you decide that you want the “as new” look back, or indeed a completely different colour entirely. This in itself is the beauty of opting for an unfinished floor. When you have had enough, the oak flooring can be sanded to fully remove the existing finish. The new finish can then be applied - leaving a oak floor that looks as good as new!
If you would like to discuss any aspect of oak flooring colours with us further, give us a call on 01538 304584.
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