Avon, CT Hardwood Floor Refinishing — Transforming Dated White Oak with Bona NaturalSeal

This Avon project is a good example of why choosing a hardwood floor color sometimes deserves almost as much attention as the sanding itself. The homeowner had white oak throughout the condo, but the existing golden tone made the floors—and in her opinion the entire interior—feel dated.

She wanted something lighter and more current, but she didn't want the white oak to look washed out. We spent quite a bit of time working through different possibilities before she made the final decision.

Starting With the Color, Not Just the Sanding

One of the homeowner's biggest concerns from the beginning was color.

Rather than asking her to choose from a small stain chart, we went to the condo and prepared a section of the actual white oak floor. We then laid out several different samples so she could see what the colors looked like on her wood and in her home's natural light.

That's particularly useful with white oak. Its grain, natural color and individual board variation can make the same product look different from one floor to another.

Four of the samples were Bona water-based products. We also provided a darker option using DuraSeal Natural stain with a water-based finish system.

After comparing the different tones, the homeowner chose Bona NaturalSeal.

It gave her the lighter direction she wanted while still allowing the natural variation of the white oak to show.

A Floor That No Longer Fit the Home

The original white oak flooring before refinishing gives a good look at the flooring before the transformation.

There was nothing inherently wrong with having a warmer white oak floor. The issue was that it wasn't the look this homeowner wanted as she updated the condo.

The goal wasn't to cover the wood with a heavy stain. It was almost the opposite—we wanted to sand away the existing aged color and let the white oak take on a cleaner, lighter appearance.

There was also another complication in this project: the kitchen renovation.

Planning the Refinishing Around New Kitchen Cabinets

This part of the job actually started months before the main refinishing project.

The homeowner was having new kitchen cabinets installed. We didn't want to wait until the cabinets were in place and then bring our sanding equipment right up against brand-new cabinetry.

So we coordinated the work.

We came in early and sanded the kitchen flooring before the new cabinets were installed. Once the kitchen renovation progressed, we returned to complete the rest of the hardwood floor refinishing.

The white oak kitchen floor prepared before the new cabinets were installed is a great process photograph because you can actually see where the kitchen had already been sanded compared with the older finish remaining on the adjoining white oak.

Sometimes a better refinishing job begins with planning months ahead.

Applying Bona NaturalSeal

After the sanding and final floor preparation were complete, it was time to put down the NaturalSeal the homeowner had selected from our samples.

The application of Bona NaturalSeal to the freshly sanded white oak captures the actual application.

This is also where homeowners sometimes become surprised by what they're seeing. A water-based sealer can look considerably different while it's wet than it does once it dries.

That's why we don't judge the finished color by those first few minutes.

Don't Judge NaturalSeal While It's Wet

The fresh Bona NaturalSeal on the white oak flooring really tells this part of the story.

When NaturalSeal first goes onto white oak, the floor can appear surprisingly dark compared with the final result. Someone seeing only this stage might wonder whether the light color they selected had disappeared.

It hadn't.

As the water-based sealer dries, that initial wet appearance changes considerably. The floor begins moving toward the lighter, softer tone we were trying to achieve.

And that's exactly what happened here.

The White Oak Begins to Show Its Natural Character

Now compare the Bona NaturalSeal drying on the white oak with the fresh Bona NaturalSeal application.

This is why these photographs are so useful.

Instead of the darker appearance of the freshly applied product, we're beginning to see the finished color direction: silvery, creamy and light tan tones, with plenty of natural variation from one white oak board to another.

We weren't trying to make every board identical. That variation is part of what makes a site-finished hardwood floor interesting.

The result brightened the rooms dramatically without making the floor look artificial.

From Dated Golden Oak to a Lighter Natural Floor

The light natural white oak floors after hardwood floor refinishing are probably my favorite photograph for showing what the homeowner was trying to accomplish.

Look at how the white oak now works with the light walls, white trim and updated interior.

Instead of the stronger golden appearance we started with, the floor has a much softer natural tone. Depending on the board and the light hitting it, you'll see cream, tan, beige, silvery-gray and subtle pinkish tones that are naturally present in the wood.

That's one of the things we like about hardwood floor refinishing rather than trying to make every floor look like a manufactured product. The wood still gets to look like wood.

A Successful Avon Hardwood Floor Refinishing Project

This wasn't simply a matter of showing up, sanding the floors and putting down a finish.

We met with the homeowner, prepared actual color samples, worked through several options, coordinated our sanding with the kitchen renovation months in advance, returned after the new cabinetry was installed, completed the dust-contained sanding process, and applied the water-based system she had selected.

The planning paid off.

The old golden appearance was gone. The condo felt brighter, and the natural character of the white oak became one of the features of the space rather than something the homeowner wanted to change.

For homeowners in Avon, CT 06001 and surrounding Farmington Valley communities such as Farmington, Simsbury and Canton, this project is a good example of why we recommend seeing color samples on your actual hardwood whenever color is an important part of the decision.

After four generations in the hardwood flooring business, we've learned that sometimes the best-looking floor isn't created by adding more color.

Sometimes it's about finding the right way to let the wood show through.