Will a clear polyeurethane varnish like Ronseal Diamond Hard bring down the colour of newly sanded old pine floorboards?
In my last house I used a polyeurethane varnish (I wish I could remember what, but I left the near-empty tin behind when we moved) on sanded pine floorboards dating from 1908 (ie, they were nice and old and seasoned). Obviously, when sanded, the boards had the colour of new wood, but the varnish took this down to a pleasant golden colour.
I'm now in the latter stages of sanding the pine floorboards in the hall of my new house, which were laid in 1963. They've come up well with a belt sander. I want to varnish them with a hardwearing satin or matt varnish, but would like to achieve the same golden colour as on the previous occasion. I don't want to use a coloured varnish, or to stain the wood if I can help it.
Has anyone used one of the modern water-based polyeurethane varnishes, like Ronseal Diamond Hard, and if so, can you tell me if they affect the colour of sanded pine floorboards? If not, what kind of varnish would?
Regards Richard