i just exposed some 60 year old red pine floors in my second floor apartment in my house, i had 2 contractors come to see if they would refinish nicely, they said they would

the wood has no knots and is very clear wood, when i asked about stain they both recommended not to stain it just said and 3 coats of poly


so my question, is it really advisable not to stain it? i really cant tell what the natural color is, i look on google for red pine and cant tell if the floors are stained or natural

Pine can be stained and turn out well.

I'm the kinda guy who likes wood natural. Staining makes it look like a big ole piece of furniture. But thats just my opinion.

You could sand off a spot in the corner and then wipe it with some ater to give you a quick look at what it will kinda look like finished natural.

There's nothing wrong with staining .However, all forms of pine and Fur stain very blotchy.So it isn't very appealing to look at unless you happen to not mind how blotchy the stain absorbs into the wood.

There are some more labor intensive ways to stain and finish pine but they take more time and effort and more money as well.So basically, staining preference is about cosmetic issues and not really about if it should or should not be done

thanx for the input

btw this is cheap common wood right?

i was just doing a quick search and dont see anyone really having it....i'll look some more


i should be able to get some for some repairs?

I'm not a sand guy but...I've heard of guys applying a coat of sanding sealer before staining Fir and Pine, to eliminate that blotchy appearance. But I'm with SP...I prefer alnaturale.

That can be done. I actually saw a pine floor that was sealed with shellac and alcohol 50/50 and then stained and it did come out extremely even. Looked great .But there were some ripples here and there as if there was some adhesion issues.

best way to stain pine is by mixing stain with waterlox tung oil. Keeps you off your knees as well!