Achieving a Natural, Untreated Look on Red Oak
Create the look of exquisite natural wood flooring on red oak with Bona waterborne sealers and finishes.
Achieving a Natural, Untreated Look on Red Oak
Create the look of exquisite natural wood flooring on red oak with Bona waterborne sealers and finishes.
As flooring trends and client tastes come and go, nothing is as timeless as the raw, natural look of hardwood floors. In an article on the website Wood Floor Business, Bona Territory Manager, Jeff Offredo, discusses how to create natural oak wood flooring which has been increasing in popularity in recent years.
Challenges of the Natural Look
When refinishing oak floors, achieving a natural/untreated look can be challenging, particularly when color matching red and white oak in one area of the home. Past techniques to achieve a natural floor look relied on harsh chemicals like bleach, two-part peroxide-based strippers or oxalic acid. These techniques were toxic to breathe in and could damage the integrity of the wood. Using these old methods also meant shorter open times that dried out the wood, causing overlap, cut-in marks, and a greater chance of tannin pull.
Raw white oak planks on top of a floor sealed with two coats of Bona NordicSeal and finished with Bona Traffic Naturale. (Photo courtesy of Marcin Zyskowski)
Bona NordicSeal®
Benefits of Bona Floor Finishes and Floor Sealers
To create natural oak wood flooring, consider this combination of Bona products:
- Bona NordicSeal Waterborne Sealer
- Bona Traffic Naturale Waterborne Finish
Bona NordicSeal has 2x more pigment than Bona NaturalSeal, offering a safer way to lighten up the color of red oak, taking out some of the pink undertones, giving it a closer appearance to raw, unfinished wood. The use of Bona Traffic HD RAW offers the strength and durability needed to protect wood floors, but its extremely low sheen level will help keep the appearance of untreated wood.
The use of waterborne products has other benefits than creating a beautiful, long lasting floor. They are easy to use on the job: there’s no odor, they are easy to apply and you can apply multiple coats in a single day. It’s the safest choice for flooring contractors and gives clients the ability to stay home while you refinish oak floors.
Finished red oak stair handrails and treads, and white oak floor. (Photo courtesy of Marcin Zyskowki)
The Bona System for Professional Grade Results
Rather than mix and match tools and products in hopes of saving money, it’s best to stick to a single system to ensure all floor coatings are compatible and guaranteed for success when following manufacturer’s recommendations. Bona professional products are designed to work together efficiently and effectively to maximize the work of flooring professionals while keeping them safe and comfortable on the job.
The natural floor trend is here to stay. Using a waterborne system to achieve the look is safer for all involved and will result in a beautiful, durable floor.
Check out Jeff Offredo’s original article for a more detailed look at refinishing oak floors with a natural look. For professional machines, tools and floor coatings that provide excellent results while being safe for the environment, view our products page.