Wood flooring is available in various profiles, colors, and species. Homeowners must choose a style appropriate for their budget, interior décor, and maintenance habits.
You can either stain or leave hardwood floors unfinished. The fantastic effects that stains may have on wood floors are mind-boggling.
Natural Vs. stained hardwood floors is one significant decision to make as a homeowner, as stained floors can imitate exotic woods, expert wood artists can utilize paints to transform wood into a work of art but natural can’t.
It influences everything from the lifetime of your wood floors to the mood of your home.
This article will assist you in weighing your alternatives by examining the advantages of both sides of the discussion.
Related: How to Protect Wood Floors Around Toilet
Natural Wood Flooring
Table of Contents
Natural wood flooring is still a popular choice. This treatment enables a transparent layer to be applied, allowing the grain and patterns to stand out.
Look for natural products or anything with a very light stain that replicates the natural look of wood if you want to create a rustic ambiance.
Natural wood flooring reflects light more, making it an excellent choice for smaller rooms.
Do you have a lot of windows in your room? Leaving the floor unfinished will maximize the amount of light in the room and make it appear larger than it is.
Darker accents, such as black window frames, darker railings or pickets, and dark furniture, work nicely with unfinished wood flooring.
Many designers recommend layering the wood tones in your room, ensuring that the flooring, furniture, features, and accessories are various wood colors to create depth.
When the colors are the same, the room can appear washed out or dreary. As a foundation for your visual stacking, consider natural wood floors.
The goal of wood floor staining is to create the appearance of rare and exotic hardwood species.
For example, you can produce an ebony floor out of a white oak or beech floor by staining it with black wood colors.
As a result, exotic species like walnut, maple, mahogany, and cherry hardwood floors may not require staining in their natural state.
Why purchase a costly, gorgeous, and cherished look only to conceal it with paint and stains?
Many people who have exotic or unique hardwood flooring will prefer to leave it in its natural state in this regard.
You need to apply a clear finish, varnish, and sealer to such flooring. However, if the floor is damaged, a darker paint or stain might be used to conceal the damage.
However, if you want to give your home a new look or emphasize the grain of your hardwood floor, you can paint or stain it.
Natural hardwood flooring is excellent for those that like a classic, timeless look. They are also a low-cost and simple solution to manage your flooring without incurring additional fees.
The major setback of a natural hardwood floor finish is its prevalence.
Read: How to Get Rid of Tiny Black Dots on Wood Floor
Stained Wood Flooring
Do you spend much time looking at home design websites or flipping through periodicals about home decor?
You’ll note that dark hardwood and engineered wood flooring are popular in recent interior design trends. In any room, this sort of stained wood flooring adds instant drama.
Dark stained hardwood comes prefinished in various stain hues and provides a low-maintenance, long-lasting finish.
Most interior designers feel that stained flooring is warmer than natural flooring. Stain tends to bring out the patina of the wood and enhance the grain, giving any space character and a warm feel.
Because of this attribute, stained wood flooring is more prevalent in today’s market, providing the perfect blend of classic and modern.
Because you will be living with your hardwood floor for a long time, staining it is a big decision. The activity is costly, but it also necessitates leaving the room.
The task is difficult because there are many different tints and hardwood floor stain colors.
Because a floor is a focal point in a space, any hues and tones you choose will impact the overall decor of your home.
Pros of Staining a Hardwood Floor
1. There Are Multiple Stain Colors and Designs
You can choose from various stain colors. The color you choose should go well with the rest of the room’s decor.
Dark, red, and honey stains and coffee, mid-brown, dark brown, and grey stains are present.
You can also use two staining schemes to create decorative patterns on the floor, like a checkerboard design.
2. You Can Transform a Cheap Floor into an Exotic Look
Applying stains to a cheap hardwood floor can modify its appearance and look like an exotic species.
If you use dark stains, you can also utilize staining to disguise dents and damages on a floor.
Furthermore, staining a damaged hardwood floor is a less expensive alternative to replacing the floor.
Cons of Staining Hardwood Floor
Some color effects, such as green or blue, cannot be achieved with staining since the wood grain is still visible.
Black and grey are the most extreme colors.
Natural Vs. Stained Hardwood Floors
Natural wood flooring reflects light more than stained hardwood floors, making it an excellent choice for smaller rooms.
The goal of wood floor staining is to create the appearance of rare and exotic hardwood species which a natural wood can’t give you.
You can choose from various stain colors to suit your interior decor which can’t be achieve with natural wood flooring.
Read: How to Protect Hardwood Floors from Bed with Wheels
Conclusion
It all depends on the state of the floor and your particular taste, whether you leave your hardwood floor natural or stain it.
Both styles offer advantages as well as disadvantages. Frankly, there is no good or bad one.
Select an option that sufficiently satisfies your taste, overall décor, and room layout/arrangement when considering which option to employ in your home.
We wrote this article about natural vs stained hardwood floors to help give you guidance when faced with making a choice about it.
We hope you found it helpful and informative. If you did, please share it across your entire social media pages