I think you are going to be very busy in the coming months. I hope you stayed safe.
I did not know ebony sinks in water! That is really dense! So dense, apparently, that it does not contail enough oxygen to be able to float!
Debbie.. I never knew that about the wood Ebony.. we have a piano which most likely has the ebony for the keys. My daughter plays the violin so to be sure her fingerboard must have some ebony too.. Now flooring.. I am not the expert, but the look of the stained flooring is great.. Love the post.. great info.. The FlooringGirl provides the best info!
Anita - Thx so much and thx for your comment and +1 on Google plus.
Kenneth - We shall see. I just hope everyone gets power back soon. It's cold out there.
Jay - Yes, the density is 1.03.
Janis - Thank you so much. Yes, real ebony flooring is very rare (and expensive). Most have oak here, and most do an ebony stain which looks so classy.
Wonderful information about flooring. How can you tell if the flooring is oak or walnut? I know they used both materials in the 1920's and 1930's. A client was advised to use wax remover to clean a floor that had carpet installed prior to purchasing the home, probably in the mid-70's. The padding was installed upside down, rotted and left residue in the wax on the floor. However, the wax remover actually stripped the wood down to raw wood. Is it possible the floor was never stained? It now has two coats of Butcher's Paste Wax to preserve it through the winter. What should he do in the Spring?
Thanks Debbie.
Catherine - Oak and walnut look different - the color and the graining. I can tell when I see it. Walnut floors are rather rare (but I do see walnut borders in some of the older homes). What is more common during the time frame you are mentioning is pine. But, either way, theyre generally treated in similar ways. (Pine, by the way, needs a condtioner before applying the stain). LOL on the padding being installed the wrong way.
Way back when, they used to use wax...which didn't last long and often needed to be applied yearly (at least). Now, they have polyurethane which is much better and much stronger - protects the wood better and lasts longer. You are not supposed to add wax (or use cleaners that have wax) if you have poly on there as it wears it down. What they should have done...and can do in the future...is properly sand and refinish the floors. Then, it will eliminate all residue and give it proper protection to last for years. Otherwise, they will be constantly waxing their floors (and paying for that).
By the way, if they refinish the floors, they can add a stain/change the color. they could use a dark stain, or a walnut colored stain, cherry toned, or go light - which ever they prefer.
All - I'm off to an appointment in Rye where I have a customer moving into a new home. I'll be back later.
Hi Debbie,
I have only worked with Ebony one time a long time ago. It was really heavy and really hard. We had to drill everyplace there was a fastener needed.
Have a good day and I hope things improve soon for you and your neighbor hood.
Best, Clint McKie
That floor color looks very nice in a home located in that area. I have many friends that still live there.
Debbie,
Another great post! Ihave never seen real ebony hardwoods, but have seen old oak hardwoods that were stained ebony, they looked fantastic!
I love the ebony stains. As the color trends move woods darker and darker I think they will become more and more popular. I do agree with you about keeping them clean, though. They do show a lot of dust and every little piece of lint. If home owners install them, they really need to think about that first.
Debbie, once again, you prove yourself to be an expert in this field.
I had no idea that Edony Hardwood floor is just ebony finishing.
Great info - and as always, saved for my reference and for the benefit of my clients.
Clint - Yes, ebony is definitely challening to work with - it wears down the tools.
Harry - Thank you. I'm glad you like it.
Debbie - Yes, the pictures above are oak w/ ebony stain. I don't have any pictures of actual ebony floors. They are extremely rare.
Melissa - Yes, the trend has definitely hit here and ebony stain is extremely popular. You're right, they are more challenging to keep clean.
Praful - Thank you so much. Yes, it can be done either way. Thank you so much for the reblog, too.
I always enjoy reading your posts and learning more about flooring. Out here in the Pac NW we also have seen the trend of dark stained flooring coming into fashion over the past several years. Because re-finishing floors is a big project in a home that is currently being occupied, we don't see it happen that often that an older home has updated finish like this one but I laugh when a new home buyer complains about a 1990's home that doesn't have this newer style finish. We try to point out that they can refinish it before moving in.
Hi Debbie... hope it is getting easier for you to get gas... we are still waiting up to two hours and still out of power and still no office... Your post will be even more valuable now that so many folks are going to need to replace their floors due to floods... I will be sure to put them on our Fanpage as soon as we get back in business...
Reba - Thank you so much. Too funny...yes, right before moving in is the best time to do it. I just met w/ a customer today who is doing that - ebony all the way.
Richard & Beth - I'm so sorry to hear about your power. My parents still don't have power either. It took me 1.5 hrs to get gas on Friday and it got worse as the day went on and I think yesterday it was even worse. Here's hoping to a speedy recovery in our whole area. Hopefully, each day it will get better.
Great photos. I LOVE ebony hardwood floors. I think they add a lot of style to the demeanor of a home.
Debbie I did not realize that there was a naturally ebony color wood, I always thought the wood was stained that color. I also did not know that there was a wood that sinks instead of floating. Learned something new today.
Jon - Thx so much, and I agree.
George - Oh good, I'm glad I was able to share something new today.
Debbie- another great informative post on flooring and I never knew there was a Janka Hardness Scale. You have certainly educated us about flooring and I wouldn't think about making a change in flooring without contacting The Flooring Girl.
Debbie, did not know that there was a Janka hardwood scale either. Dark flooring is also very popular here, along with dark cabinets. Wish The Flooring Girl was here!
Sharon
Debbie ~ I love the look of ebony-color floors but hate the dust they show! Yikes you'd have to mop them all the time. Same thing with black granite counters ... after I had them in one home I swore, never again ...
Kathy - Thank you so much. It's cool that everyone is learning this stuff.
Sharon - Glad to hear that. Yes, dark ebony cabinets are in w/ white/cream tile, but even moreso here, white cabinets w/ dark hardwood floors.
Maureen - Yes, the absolute black granite countertops are even worse.
Debbie, very few people know how to use the power of the rain on the business like you do. ..congratulations on another featured post!
Had no idea Ebony would sink in water.
Oak and pine were the common floors in our area with white or yellow pine being the most common. People always say they have 'hardwood' flooring in their homes, but pine is a soft would is wood flooring would be more accurate.
High quality stringed instruments use ebony in their finger boards for its distinctive black color, because it contrasts beautifully with pearl & abalone inlay, and because its hardness resists wear from the strings.
I have seen some ebony hardwood floors in some new houses I just started managing and they look great. That coupled with dark furniture makes for a nicely atmospheric room.
Debbie:
Thanks for the information about ebony floors and ebony wood. I am going to share your post with my facebook business page. Great info.
Debbie: Very thorough and easy to follow understanding of what Ebony Hardwood Floors actually are. Suggested.