Q & A with the technical department at the National Wood Flooring Association:
Q: What species of hardwood are most likely to fade?
A: Brazilian cherry and American Cherry
Q:How much do these species change color?
A: They can darken up to 3-4 times their original color.
Q:How long will the floors discolor?
A: The floors will continue to discolor or age with time, but the majority of the aging happens within 3-6 months. The process slows down and that point, but still continues.
Q: If the floors change color in the first 3-6 months, is it best to wait to put area rugs down?
A: If at all possible, it is best to wait 3-6 months before putting area rugs down.
Q: What causes floors to fade?
A: Too much UV light can bleach the wood.
Q: Are there products that can be applied to the floor that have sunblock in them?
A: No, nothing can be topically applied to the floor. The finishes already have UV light retarders in them.
Q: What can help the fading of hardwood floors?
A: Low E glass windows and some types of window treatments can help protect the floors.
Q: What finish has the least effective retarder?
A: Oil Modified Polyurethane
Q: Is the discoloration considered a flaw?
A: No, some people call this an aged look or a patina and realize that it is a natural characteristic of wood.
Q: What can you do if you already have area rugs down and have discoloration?
A: You can move the rugs a couple of inces every month so that there is no stark color change or visible line.
No Responses to “Hardwood Floor Discoloration”
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Great points to be considered when picking out a wood species for flooring. I have American Cherry flooring in my home and it has the most beautiful patina—definitely patina, not discolored! I have noticed that Walnut is particularly senstive to sunlight, causing it to fade rather than darken.
February 7th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Question–Will prefinished hardwood flooring with a walnut stain (8-9 coats and aluminum oxide) fade or change color ?? We have low E windows but would like to leave the blinds open some of the time .
The flooring we are purchasing can be seen on the website http://www.coswick.com . Terrific website. It is the 3&1/4″ white oak -rift/quartersawn with the walnut stain. The samples we received are identical to the ones pictured. It was a toss up between the walnut & the natural(which is very very lovely!!!!)
The Coswick Company is out of Canada but I believe there are 2 locations in the eastern states .
February 15th, 2009 at 3:56 am
Great post! I was looking forward and didn’t expect to see it so soon! Again, great, sound advice. Looking forward to reading more under those new tabs you added!
June 8th, 2009 at 2:21 am
I like to discolouring that occurs but it can be a bit tricky to predict just what the final colour will be. But it is much more natural if the wood is allowed to “bed in” and discolour. Otherwise the final product is just too soul-less in my opinion.
January 23rd, 2009 at 4:14 am
Nice little FAQ here. I really like the last one, sums up my opinion.
“Q: Is the discoloration considered a flaw?
A: No, some people call this an aged look or a patina and realize that it is a natural characteristic of wood.”
Cheers from Matt @ office design