What to do when you can't match wood floors?

Author: Prof. Monroe McKenzie MD  |  Last update: Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Instead, consider having a custom mixed stain matched to the same intensity of the existing wood. This often entails having a contractor water down a stain color until it matches the sun-faded or dulled tones of the existing planks.

What to do when hardwood floors don't match?

Sanding and staining/sealing the entire floor is your best option. Matching will be nearly impossible.

How hard is it to match existing hardwood floors?

The good news is that unfinished hardwood flooring lets you easily adjust the floor's color. So if you match the species, thickness, grade, and plank width, you've accomplished most of the task. So, if the current floors are oak and you match that species and grade, the final step is matching the color.

Is there an app to match hardwood floors?

With Shaw's Floorvana color matching app, you can now capture and connect your inspiration with the perfect flooring for all of your rooms through patent-pending color matching technology.

How do you match discontinued flooring?

Color: find a floor with a similar tone to your pre-existing floors for a cohesive design. Thickness: a smooth transition is key, so look for a floor that is the same or very similar thickness as your current flooring. Plank style: matching the same plank style is important for a consistent appearance.

Hardwood Floor Repair Blending the Finish

How to find discontinued hardwood floors?

Here's how to find discontinued flooring.
  1. Research and Documentation: ...
  2. Contact Manufacturers and Retailers: ...
  3. Online Marketplaces and Auction Sites: ...
  4. Networking and Community: ...
  5. Salvage Yards and Remnant Sales: ...
  6. Online Flooring Retailers and Specialty Suppliers:

How do I find the same flooring?

Here are some of our best tips for matching your flooring from one room to the next.
  1. Make Sure It's an Exact Match. ...
  2. Take Pictures or a Sample. ...
  3. Write Down a Few Notes. ...
  4. Start From Scratch. ...
  5. Fit the Room Itself. ...
  6. Be Careful Where You Switch Flooring. ...
  7. Pay Attention to Color. ...
  8. Stick With Less Than Three Different Types of Flooring.

How do I identify my wood floors?

Is Your Floor Real Wood? 7 Simple Ways to Find Out
  1. #1 Inspect the grain pattern. ...
  2. #2 Check the edges and seams. ...
  3. #3 Feel the surface. ...
  4. #4 Look for nail holes or staples. ...
  5. #5 Test the sound. ...
  6. #6 Examine the underside. ...
  7. #7 Ask a flooring professional.

How do you match two different wood floors?

Woods that are similar but not the same don't typically look good together. To install two different shades of hardwood, a good rule of thumb is to go dark with one and light on the other. You can also get by with medium-dark and medium-light. An example is mahogany next to maple or white oak.

Is there an app that identifies hardwood floors?

Xylorix Inspector is our flagship mobile app that provides automated wood identification through captured macroscopic end-grain images.

How to match new floor boards to old?

If you are looking for a match, measure the width of your floorboards and ensure your new planks are the same width. If it is an older floor, measure a few planks to get the average, as the planks may have warped and expanded over time.

Can you fix uneven hardwood floors?

Sanding smooths out the uneven areas, and refinishing restores the wood's original appearance. Planeing: Planeing involves shaving wood from high spots to even out the floor. This technique is commonly used when a hardwood floor has mild unevenness but doesn't require a full refinishing.

What is the best flooring to put over old hardwood floors?

Laminate flooring is one of the easiest types to install over hardwood. There is virtually no preparation that is required. If, however, the hardwood flooring underneath is wavy, you will want to level it before placing laminate over it.

How to match existing hardwood floors?

You'll want to match the type of wood as well as the grade of the floorboard. You'll need to match the width of the planks and the color of the finish as well. And depending on the amount of wear in adjacent rooms, you can choose to texture your new floorboards to create the appearance of an older floor.

Can I make my hardwood floors darker without sanding?

In short, yes—you absolutely can stain your wood floors without sanding. It's not only possible, but it's also a great way to refresh the look of your floors without all the hassle, dust, and effort that comes with traditional sanding. That said, it's important to go into this process with realistic expectations.

What flooring looks best next to hardwood?

Striking Contrasts: The Beauty of Natural Stone

Natural stone stands tall as an outstanding choice when looking for a flooring option that exudes sophistication and provides a stunning contrast to your hardwood floors. Materials like marble, granite, or slate create a sense of luxury and unparalleled visual impact.

Is it OK to have two different wood floors in a house?

So, can you mix and match hardwood floors? The short answer is yes, you can definitely mix and match hardwoods throughout a home. With the right approach, you can even place two different woods next to each other.

How do you blend different hardwood floors?

Using a transition piece is a great way to create a smooth and seamless flow between different types of flooring. A transition piece is a small strip that sits between two types of flooring, making it easy to move from one surface to another.

Is it difficult to match wood floors?

Depending on the age of your floor, matching your existing floor can be difficult, but nonetheless, it is possible.

How do I find out what flooring I have?

To distinguish between natural wood, laminate, and vinyl flooring, observe the pattern repetition on the boards. Natural wood will have unique variations like knots and grain patterns, while laminate and vinyl will show repeated, uniform patterns due to their mass-produced printed layers.

How do I know what color my hardwood floors are?

You'll want to consider these six key factors when choosing hardwood floor colors.
  1. Size of the Room. Consider a lighter color when installing hardwood flooring in a smaller room. ...
  2. Type of Room. ...
  3. Lighting. ...
  4. Wall Color, Furniture and Decor. ...
  5. House Style. ...
  6. Lifestyle.

How do I tell what wood I have?

Does the wood have an open, porous texture? Most softwoods will be almost perfectly smooth with no grain indentations, while many common hardwoods have an open pore structure, such as oak or mahogany; though there are some hardwoods that are also smooth to the touch, such as maple.

How to match two different wood floors?

Match Tones

Choose whichever sample is closest in color to the existing floor. Even though the match may not be exact, once furniture, area rugs and accessories are added to the space, the slight difference in floors will be minimized.

Is there an app to match wood floors?

Match it + See it + Love it

Take inspiration to the next level with Floorvana +, a tool to help you find your perfect flooring match. Upload images of rooms, see your selection in different installation options, and share your design vision with others through this award-winning, real-time Augmented Reality experience.

How to find matching floorboards?

Finish: Note the finish of the wood (e.g., matte, satin, semi-gloss, gloss). Matching the sheen is essential for visual continuity. Color and Stain: Even within the same wood species, color can vary depending on the stain used. Bring a sample of your existing floor to a flooring store for comparison.

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