Re: Painting/staining floorboards black

[jhmmwoodman]

I'm

>looking at getting unfinished oak boards and painting/staining them black. >Does anyone have any experiences with colouring boards like this?

A solution made by dissolving rusty metal in white vinegar will react with the tannins in the wood (of which oak has an abundance), resulting in a black color. A drop of dish soap will lower the surface tension of the solution, when you apply it, so that it will get in to the pores of your oak boards. A little light sanding to knock down any raised grain, then clearcoat. This is one way!

Michael Helms Mountaineer Millworks Weddington, NC remove "nogoons" from email for replies

[FOW]

[Ernie Jurick]

You can have the best of both worlds by "fuming" the oak before installation, a technique which was popular about 130 years ago. It means building an outdoor airtight tent out of plastic sheets, stacking the oak with plenty of circulation space in between planks, then pumping in ammonia gas (a small tank from a gas supplier will do nicely). This will darken the wood amazingly, right down to a rich ebony color if you want it that black. The advantage over painting is that the wood grain is still visible, and the overall effect when properly varnished is quite impressive. Do some research first and experiment with a small batch of the flooring before you go all the way. Ammonia is lethal stuff, so alert your local fire department in advance and don't even think about doing it indoors.

I've also heard that you can apply a strong ammonia solution to the unfinished oak floor directly, but the outside tent is safer in the long run unless you have access to a hazmat suit with an independent air supply.

-- Ernie