2022 | GEORGOUS BLACK HARDWOOD FLOORING TO TRANFORM YOUR SPACE

Black colored hardwood flooring is one of the most followed and liked trends among the homeowners due to how beautiful and attractive they are. They add colors and perfection to your house’s floor and make it look stunningly beautiful. The black hardwood floors are different from the dark hardwood floors, as the dark hardwood floors mostly comprise the original color of the hardwood but black hardwood floors are created with the help of staining the dark hardwood planks.

The modern, attractive, and luxurious look that black hardwood floors provide, makes them a perfect choice for your hardwood floors. But this luxury and modern look isn’t easy to obtain, there is a lot that you need to know otherwise, you will end up getting a dark hardwood floor that looks black but isn’t as black as you wanted it to be. You can use these black hardwood floors to transform any part of your house, or your entire house as well.

But before you choose the black hardwood floors for your house, you should know a few essential things and you must keep them in mind when buying a black hardwood floor for your house. The first thing that you should know that you have two different options when it comes to the black hardwood floors.

The first one is to buy unfinished dark hardwood floor planks and finish them into black hardwood floors, and the second one is to buy an already finished black hardwood floor. Both of these have their advantages and disadvantages. You must know about both of these. before deciding what to choose. So, you do not make a mistake by selecting the wrong option.

But Before going to that discussion, let’s first talk about some pros and cons of black hardwood floorings.

Black hardwood flooring

PROS

  • Black hardwood floors provide a beautiful, modern, unique, and luxurious look to your house. It enhances the look of your house and makes it more beautiful and more attractive.
  • Black hardwood floors do not change their color over time as the hardwood can absorb all the light. This means that your floor will not change its color over time as quickly as the other hardwood floors do.
  • Black hardwood floors require less maintenance as compared to the other hardwood floors. They do not change their color, so you will not have to refinish them frequently like you have to refinish the other hardwood floor types.
  • The beauty of the wood grain is more apparent in black hardwood floors as compared to the other light hardwood floors, where it is mostly masked due to the light.
  • It works with almost all kinds of environment settings and works very well with all colors of paints, cabinet colors for kitchen and room furniture as well.

CONS

  • Black hardwood floors are harder to clean. This is because they do not mask any dust particles and even the smallest amount of dust will be visible on your floor. That is why you will have to clean it more frequently as compared to the other light hardwood floors.
  • Black hardwood floors are also less resistant to floor scratches and marks. This is because of their shiny black surface. The surface of these floors cannot hide scratches and footprints.
  • It is very difficult to achieve the required black color for your hardwood floors, it requires more work than any other type of hardwood floor type. This also makes it slightly costlier in terms of finishing it. 

RefinishING Hardwood flooring with Black Stain

The refinishing of your unfinished hardwood floors or old floors with black color is one of the choices that you have to renovate your house and get a black hardwood floor. You can use this in two different situations.

  • If you have an already finished floor that you want to stain with black color, you just need to get a black stain and follow a procedure that lets you finish your hardwood floor with black stain so that you can get a black hardwood flooring.
  • If you have an unfinished hardwood floor that you want to finish with a water-based black stain. You just need to install your unfinished hardwood floor and then stain it with the black colored dye, this is also done through the same procedure.

How to finish your hardwood floors with Black Stain

It is not an easy task to stain and finish your hardwood floor and get the proper black shade that you may want. Most of the people, who start without knowing the process, either end up spending too much or they have to compromise on the results they obtained. That is why you must know all about the procedure of staining your hardwood floor black so that you can get the desired black color. Below, I have explained the process that will allow you to obtain the best possible results from the staining and finishing of hardwood floors to black.

  • Choose your hardwood type: Choosing the right type of hardwood is the first step in this process. You need to choose a hardwood type that is dark and is easy to stain black. There are a lot of hardwood species and types that you can choose from, this list includes dark walnut, dark hickory, ebony. If you want to achieve dark black color, you should choose a blend of ebony and dark walnut, but if you want a less black shade, you should choose hickory or any other dark hardwood species.

    Make sure that you do not choose any light hardwood floor species or hardwood types because if you choose a lighter hardwood species, it will be very difficult for you to stain it black and achieve the perfect results. You should also keep in mind that you choose a hardwood species that is not only blackish, or dark, but is also strong and dense so that it can be used anywhere and it must be able to support the weight on the floor.
  • Choose a black stain: Once you have chosen the perfect hardwood type for your black hardwood floor, it is time for you to choose a perfect dye. You should choose the black stain by taking a look at some finished results. If the finished results match your requirements, then you should buy them otherwise, look for some other options that provide the look that you want. Apart from the color and shade, you should also look for the other properties of the stain as well such as its lifespan.

    You should not choose the cheaper hardwood stains that last only a few months, but you should choose the one that lasts longer. You should also choose a stain that does not mask the grain of the hardwood species. This will destroy the original look of the hardwood floor. So, to keep the original grain and look of the black hardwood floor, you should choose a stain that provides the best shade that you want and also does not make the iconic grain of your hardwood floor.
  • Use water popping: Water popping is a process that allows you to raise the grain of the hardwood. This is important if you want to achieve a better shade of black hardwood flooring and also want your wood grain to be visible. This is a technique that helps you make your wood grain visible even if the hardwood has been stained black. This process opens up the pores of your wood grain and this helps the stain to get absorbed into the grain of hardwood and make it more apparent.

    This will not only provide a sharp wood grain that is visible but will also help you get an even darker look from your black hardwood floor. Apart from this, the water popping also helps you make your hardwood more resistant to scratches, fire, and pests. This means water popping helps you add a further layer of protection over your hardwood floor. The only side effect of using water popping is that it will cost you some extra money but if you want to perfect the look of your hardwood floor, it is worth spending money on water popping.
  • Add Stain into polyurethane: This is something you should only try if you are not satisfied with the black look of your hardwood floor and want to make it even darker. If you add the stain into the polyurethane layer, it will make your hardwood floors look even more black. But there is also a side effect doing so, the polyurethane is the protective layer of your hardwood floor, it protects your floor from scratches, fire, and water spills.
  • Use aniline dyes: Only use aniline dyes if you want a jet black hardwood flooring finish. This is an option that provides you an extremely black hardwood floor color shade. Use a jet black hardwood flooring aniline dye to get an extreme black shade for your hardwood flooring. It provides you the desired outcomes but there are some issues related to it as well.

    It can make your hardwood floor look jet black. it penetrates all parts of the hardwood, so your entire plank would appear equally black. This significantly reduces the color variations that are mostly visible with other stains. The aniline dyes are water-based, so they make your grain pop up. The aniline dyes can hide the imperfections of your floor even if it is old.

    Aniline dyes need protection from ultraviolet light, so you will have to use the stain over the layer of aniline dyes so that they do not fade away over time. Also, it is not easy to find a person who knows how to use these properly. It costs a little bit more and that is why most people skip this. But it is a great option if you want to renovate or refinish your old dark hardwood floor into a jet black hardwood flooring.
  • Add an extra layer of polyurethane coat: Once you are done with all of the above procedures, it is time for you to add a double coat of polyurethane over your black hardwood floor. This is important because it will not only make your hardwood floor more resistant to water, fire, and other damages but will also provide a glossy look. This glossy layer of extra polyurethane will help you enhance the life of your hardwood floor. This will cost you some extra amount, but will also provide you more protection, more resistance, and an enhanced look.

Prefinished Black Hardwood flooring

If you do not want to go through the trouble of refinishing your hardwood floors to stain them black, you have the option to choose an already finished black hardwood floor that is not only equally beautiful but is also more strong, and provides more protection as well. Prefinished black hardwood flooring comes already finished and you just need to get them installed, this can save you a lot of time, hard work, and money that you otherwise would have spent on the work required for self finishing of the hardwood.

The prefinished black hardwood flooring provides you ready to install, finished, stained hardwood planks. You do not need to finish them on-site, but just cut them according to your requirements and use them. There are a lot of benefits of using prefinished hardwood flooring but there is an issue, it only comes in limited choice. The unfinished black hardwood floorings give you a free hand to add colors, stains, dyes, and polyurethanes, but the prefinished hardwood does not need any of these things, so it saves your time and money but it limits the choices for you. You can only choose from the available colors, and shades of the prefinished hardwood floorings.

Prefinished hardwood floorings further have two different types, one is black solid hardwood floorings, and the other is black engineered hardwood floorings. Both of these are types of prefinished hardwood floorings and they have their pros and cons. You should know about the types of these black hardwood floors so that you can decide better and choose one for your hardwood flooring. Below is a complete guide related to both of these.

Prefinished Black Solid Hardwood Floors

Black solid hardwood floors are already finished hardwood floors that consist of only the prefinished hardwood planks that have not been engineered but just cut and properly finished. If you want to have a solid black hardwood floor in your house, then you should know about the hardwood species, so that you can choose a better one for yourself. Below are some of the pros and cons of black solid hardwood floors.

Advantages of Black Solid Hardwood Floors

  • Enhances the look and feel of the black hardwood floors. It feels smooth and natural under the feet instead of artificially smoothed. You will get a more premium look and feel.
  • It mostly requires low maintenance as compared to the engineered hardwood for the black hardwood flooring.
  • It adds value to your assets. Most people renovate their houses when they are selling them or renting them, so it is very important to install things that add value to your property instead of the ones that only cost your pocket and provide very little value.
  • The black solid hardwood floors are made with planks that are directly cut, polished, and finished by the machines, so you have all the natural properties of the wood intact and also have added an extra layer of security as well.
  • The color of solid black hardwood floors will not fade away quickly. It lasts longer and provides the same premium look for a longer time.
  • It also has a longer lifespan and can be used in any part of the floor. The use of prefinished solid black hardwood planks saves your time and labor as well.

Disadvantages of Black Solid Hardwood Floors

  • The cost of the black solid hardwood floors can be a little bit higher than normal unfinished hardwood floorings. This is because the solid black hardwood floors are already finished and you will not have to spend anything on getting them finished on-site.
  • If any plank of your solid black hardwood flooring gets damaged, this will be harder to replace and repair. This is because solid black hardwood floors do not cut easily and it is very difficult to remove one and reinstall.
  • The overall lifespan of the prefinished black solid hardwood floors is less than the engineered hardwood floors. So, if you want a long term solution, you should consider the prefinished black engineered hardwood flooring.
  • They take more time to finish, their smell also lasts longer.

Prefinished Black Engineered Hardwood Floors

The use of prefinished black engineered hardwood floors can also save you a lot of money and time. The prefinished black engineered hardwood floors are also more durable and long-lasting if compared to all other types of black hardwood floorings. This is because they are designed and made to last longer. The prefinished black engineered hardwood floors can be installed in any part of your house, including the heavy traffic places as well.

The use of prefinished black engineered hardwood floors allows you to bypass all the procedures of choosing a strong hardwood species, getting it cut, polished and finished for you, and then installation. If you want to use the prefinished black engineered hardwood floors, you just need to buy the already finished black planks of the required color and get them installed.

Advantages of Black Engineered Hardwood Floors

  • One of the major advantages of using the prefinished black engineered hardwood floors is that it allows you to get your floors quickly renovated. It takes no time to get the prefinished black engineered hardwood and get it installed.
  • The prefinished black engineered hardwood floors are also a cheaper and more affordable solution as compared to the other hardwood floors. You will get the best results but at a marginal price and you will not have to spend anything on the finishing or staining or dying.
  • It is easy to use and easy to work with. It is one of the most prominent benefits of the prefinished black engineered hardwood floors. You do not need to be an expert to install it by yourself. Anyone with just simple know-how can install the prefinished black engineered hardwood floors.
  • It is harder, denser, and stronger than all other hardwood types. The prefinished black engineered hardwood floors are considered one of the strongest hardwood types. It is designed to be stronger and last longer. That is why most of the experts advise using the prefinished black engineered hardwood floors.
  • The prefinished black engineered hardwood floors are more durable and more resistant to water, fire, and pests. That is why they are easy to maintain and clean. You will not have to worry even if you get dirty with water spills, or any part of your hardwood is closer to the fire. It will not get affected by water or fire. It is also more protected against pests and decay.

Disadvantages of Black Engineered Hardwood Floors

  • As you know that the hardwood in the prefinished black engineered hardwood floors is engineered and not natural, most people consider it an inferior choice.
  • It costs more to buy a plank of the same length and width of prefinished black engineered hardwood floors. Other hardwood types do not cost that much for a single plank.
  • The edges of prefinished black engineered hardwood floors are not as smooth as the self-finished hardwood floors.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you have decided to have a black hardwood floor in your house, you should consider the different options that you have in the black range. You should consider the color, shade, hardwood species, hardwood type, dye, stain, and polyurethane. If you keep all of these factors in mind, you will be better able to choose the perfect one for you that not only looks beautiful and feels amazing but is also long-lasting, durable, and strong as well.

Apart from this, you should also consider what type of black hardwood flooring will add value to your property. The final decision is yours but you should also consider the advice of the experts. Try to learn as much as possible related to the black hardwood flooring so that you do not make any mistakes when choosing the black hardwood flooring for your house renovation. A little effort and time in research can help you save a lot of money.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  1. Question: What is the true black stain for the floor?

    The true black stain is a hardwood stain that is used if you want to get a true black color. This is mostly used to restain or refinish the dark hardwood floors.

  2. Question: Can I get painted black hardwood floors?

    Yes, you can get painted black hardwood floors. If you do not want to dye the hardwood floor by yourself or do not want to do all other work related to black hardwood floors, you can get prefinished black hardwood floors. They are already finished, which means that they are properly cut, painted, and finished. The prefinished hardwood floors are ready to use/ install type black hardwood floors.

  3. What is ebony hardwood?

    Ebony is one of the black, dense, and strong hardwoods that is used for flooring purposes. It is mostly used to get the best possible black hardwood floors. It looks very fine black and dark brown and provides a premium touch and feel.

  4. How do you stain hardwood floors in black?

    You can stain the black hardwood floors with the help of a proper black stain or dye. A required color is chosen and applied on the hardwood, after the application of stain, the floor is allowed to dry and then a polyurethane layer is added over the floor. This is how you stain the hardwood floors black.

  5. Question: Can I install a black hardwood floor in the kitchen?

    Yes, you can install black hardwood floors in kitchens. They are dynamic and modern and work very well with all sorts of kitchen cabinets colors.

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