how do you stain hickory a dark color

The Best Way to Stain Hickory

• Step 1. Sand the surface of the hickory with 100-grit sandpaper on a hand block. Sand with short strokes, always with...
• Step 2. Lean your head down so that the light reflects off the surface of the hickory. You should see a dull whitish...
• Step 3. Dip a sponge into the stain. Get it full so that it is dripping. Apply it to the hickory,...

Full Answer

How do you stain a hickory floor?

Work your way over the whole floor in overlapping courses, taking up most of the surface finish. Vacuum the dust, then repeat the sanding process two more times, with medium and fine sanding belts. Brush wood stain onto the sanded hickory floorboards with a paint brush over the floor a few square feet at a time.

How do you sand and Polish Hickory?

Run the sander across the surface area of the hickory, opening up the pores of the wood. Moisten a lint free cloth with mineral spirits and rub down the wood you just sanded.

How do you remove dust from hickory wood?

Attach a piece of 100-grit sandpaper to the bottom of an electric sander. Run the sander across the surface area of the hickory, opening up the pores of the wood. Moisten a lint free cloth with mineral spirits and rub down the wood you just sanded. This removes the dust from sanding.

Can You polyurethane over hickory wood?

Once the stain has dried, the hickory hardwood should be smoothed with a floor polisher. Apply the polyurethane over the boards in a thin, even layer with the direction of the floorboards.

Can hickory be stained dark?

You can still stain hickory this dark, in spite of its tight grain. Hickory is a hard, durable wood comparable to maple. It has strong colors and a tight grain.

How do you darken hickory?

1:444:17How to Finish Hickory Wood : Wood Flooring - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou want to switch rags frequently. But you can see that we'll pull off all the excess stain leavingMoreYou want to switch rags frequently. But you can see that we'll pull off all the excess stain leaving you a nice rich. Color that is just in the wood planks.

What stain looks good on hickory?

Almond Stain (FC-42000)Asbury Brown Stain (FC-7992)Briar Stain (FC-15743)Burnt Umber Stain (FC-10748)Driftwood Stain (FC-11433)Earthtone Stain (FC-40592)Ebony Stain (FC-11047)Golden Pecan Stain (FC-41610)More items...•

Can you stain wood a darker color?

To darken stained wood, you can clean and lightly sand the surface of your wood project, and then apply the new darker stain to the surface. Since your goal is to darken the stain, you can add a darker tone on top of the existing stain, which is easier than removing a darker tone.

What is a good finish for hickory?

For your situation, without a spray gun, I suggest either polyurethane, maybe thinned with about 10% mineral spirits to reduce brushmarks, or a wiping varnish, such as Minwax's Wipe-On-Poly or General Finishes Seal-A Cell or Arm-R-Seal, all of which are varnishes thinned about half with mineral spirits.

What color does hickory age to?

Color: The color will vary from a light cream to a darker amber, and will darken slightly and amber over time. Exposure to UV light will speed the darkening/ambering process.

What stain color is closest to hickory?

Considering these two factors, rust and beige are in the right territory. Real hickory has a creaminess that a stain can't imitate, however, and you may want to bring in that element if the wood is naturally blonde. If so, choose ivory for its yellowish tinges.

What are the undertones in hickory?

The undertone of natural hickory is yellowish, the color of light honey, and the striations in hickory wood add to the cabinets' natural look. But some light hickory is orangish, or cabinets might feature a cooler, champagne stain with a pinkish cast.

What is the color of hickory?

Hickory heartwood is a light to medium brown color with a reddish hue. The sapwood is a paler yellowish brown, creating a distinguished contrast of light and dark colors that look beautiful stained or unfinished.

How do you change light wood to dark wood?

To stain wood darker, scuff sand it with medium-grit sandpaper and then apply multiple layers of dark-colored gel stain. Then, seal it with a layer of polyurethane wood finish. Finally, you can use a more natural stain like black tea or coffee to give your wood the desired darkness.

How can I stain wood darker without sanding?

1:5110:40Stain Without Sanding the Existing Finish Off With General FinishesYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAll you have to do to start is clean your piece off with some water. And some mild soap like don.MoreAll you have to do to start is clean your piece off with some water. And some mild soap like don. And then the second step I'm going in with a vinegar. And water and a scotch pad or.

What is the darkest stain for wood?

The darkest color available in wood stain is black. Black wood stains are often called ebony or onyx wood stains. A black wood stain closely resembles black paint but allows the wood grain to show through.

How do you age hickory wood?

While you will not be able to pinpoint the age of a hickory tree precisely, you can estimate its age by looking at the height, the width and the circumference of the tree and comparing it to another hickory tree whose age you know.

What color is hickory stain?

Although natural hickory has many dark grain lines, its main color, after application of a clear finish, is creamy to golden brown. A hickory stain usually has a predominance of raw sienna, which gives it the yellow color and burnt umber to make it brown.

How do you stain a hickory floor?

Brush wood stain onto the sanded hickory floorboards with a paint brush over the floor a few square feet at a time. Apply the stain heavily enough that it puddles. Let it sit for a minute, then wipe off the excess stain with rags.

Can you refinish hickory cabinets?

Apply a primer with a brush or roller to help hide the dark cabinet color and grain and help the finish paint attach to the cabinet. Some paint companies now make primer and finish paint combinations and this can be used, but more coats may be required to achieve the desired results.

How to get a hickory stain out of wood?

Dip a sponge into the stain. Get it full so that it is dripping. Apply it to the hickory, spreading the stain as far as it will go. Thoroughly saturate the hickory with stain. Don't let the stain dry as you work your way over the surface spreading the stain. If you run out of stain dip the sponge in and get it full again.

How long does it take to dry wood stain?

Wipe the stain off as fast as you can with a soft cloth. Don't leave any pooled up anywhere. Let the stain dry for 15 minutes. If you see any blotches, stain the wood again everywhere. Examine after 15 minutes. If you still see blotches stain one more time. Let the stain dry overnight.

When did Shaddy start publishing?

Shaddy began publishing in various magazines in 1992 , and published a novel, “Dark Canyon,” in 2008. eHow may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Hickory is one of the hardest of all hardwoods. It has closed pores and a tight grain.

Does hickory have pores?

It has closed pores and a tight grain. Stain will not penetrate easily into hickory and absorbs at different rates, resulting in blotchy stain. Hickory has a tendency to polish when it is sanded causing even more problems with stain penetration. To properly stain hickory and get consistent color, the pores must be opened by rouging up ...

Who is Wade Shaddy?

Shaddy has also worked as a newspaper reporter and writer, and as a contributing writer for Bicycling Magazine.

How long does it take for polyurethane to dry?

Allow the polyurethane to dry for six hours, then sand the floor by hand with extra-fine sandpaper, using quick, light strokes to dull the surface so the next layer of polyurethane will stick.

Can you stain hickory flooring?

A problem with staining hickory flooring is that it highlights the sanding job, so if the sanding was sloppy, the stain reveals the mistake. So sand your floor carefully.

Is hickory a hard wood?

Hickory is one of the hardest of all hardwoods, as it has a tight grain pattern. Staining the floors brings out this feature, but it's a lengthy procedure, because the surface must be sanded and conditioned to seal any imperfect grain and prevent blotches.

Can you start a fire with rags soaked in oil?

You can also start a fire with rags soaked with oil stain, so be sure to disposed of the rags in a proper disposal container.

Why do they dry maple floors with UV lights?

They are then dried with UV lights so that the color is consistent. These conditions are impossible to reproduce in your home because the coatings we use on site are gravity permeable and are slower drying. This is what the Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association says about the subject:

Can you stain maple wood?

While small areas of individual flooring strips may accept stain without difficulty, it has been our experience that much of the maple surface will appear uneven and “blotchy” following the application of most stains or bleaching agents.

Can you bleach maple flooring?

This is what the Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association says about the subject: “Due to the extremely tight cellular structure and variable grain patterns inherent in northern hard maple, the Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association (MFMA) does not recommend staining or bleaching maple strip flooring under any circumstances.

Do hard spots absorb stain?

When trying to stain these woods, the hard spots will not absorb the stain easily, and when that happens, you will have a light patch that looks blotchy. When maple or hickory kitchen cabinets are stained, it is done in a factory controlled environment, and they use different types of fast dry, spray-on coatings.

Can water popping wood floors be dampened?

When water-popping, the floor is actually dampened with a sponge so the grains can be opened. The wood is more likely to absorb stain. This is a very risky thing to do, and many younger installers have not been taught how to properly do this, so I still do not recommend it. -Rob.

Is hickory wood a good stain?

Hickory is extremely beautiful and does not requirw any help feom stain to look stunning. Hickory boast such beautiful colors and charactor. Hickory has some areas of beautiful streaking ebony colors running through areas of light blondish wood.

Can you stain hickory wood?

hey sarah. we build out of hickory all the time in our shop and there is nothing to the staining process. we use lacquer based stains because they dry faster but any oil base stains are great. the secret is in the sanding. most think you have to polish the wood super smooth. that is why it doesnt take stain. we finish sand with 100 grit paper on oribital sanders. the stain will come out uniform in color. hope this helps Terry

Is hickory wood a natural color?

As others have mentioned, hickory has a lot of natural color and grain variance. I think it is one of the most beautiful and underused woods around. I’m not trying to tell you what color your cabinets should be, but I would highly recommend that, if you do decide to stain, test finish a fairly large slab first to see how you like it. All the natural wildness in the hickory may affect the appearance of your chosen stain color in ways you were not expecting.

Is hickory hard maple?

One other thing about hickory, it is heavy in your hand and it is very hard, it rivals hard maple.

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Problems staining Hickory?? Anyone hear this?

We have installed Hickory flooring thru out the home that we are building. My husbands wants to leave the floor unstained and I am leaning toward staining it to tone it down a bit.

Comments (8)

I work with wood flooring. I have not stained hickory, but I am not surprised that folks find it resistant to penetrating stains, as the wood is dense. The only place on the boards that will accept pigment well will be the soft wood of the grain pattern.