This may come as a shock to you, but no. Oak flooring will not darken with age. Now before you get all excited and call me a big fat liar because you know better, let me expound on this subject a little more. Then, if you want to email me to voice (or type) your objections you can do so.
Why Do Hardwood Floors Change Colors?
Hardwood floors, or any form of wood, will be affected not by time but by sunlight. It is that sunlight, and the change in patina, that makes an Oak hardwood floor darken. If you really want to get technical the change in patina is caused by a chemical reaction and the severity is dependent not only to the amount of exposure to sunlight but to humidity, temperature, species, etc. On an Oak floor the result is a darker floor.
Is Oak The Only Species Of Flooring That Will Darken With Age?
Each species will be affected by sunlight. Some, like Walnut, actually lighten up some with exposure to light. Most hardwood floors however will darken. Maple is one that darkens a great deal. Because of the lack of color variation in a Maple floor the change in patina is much more noticeable.
Not only will a floor change tones, it can also change color. A red Oak floor will have a pink tint when it comes out of the box but a month of sunbathing eliminates that, resulting in a warmer tone. White Oak floors can have an olive tint when freshly installed but will lose that quickly in sunlight.
My favorite floor after the sun has pounded it for a few months is a Cherry hardwood flooring. It turns a warm brown color that has always appealed to me.
How Can You Reduce Exposure To Sunlight?
If you would prefer that the hardwood floor in your home remain close to the color that you chose you just have to limit the amount of sunlight that hits your floor. But you must do this to the entire floor.
Many years ago I went out to a jobsite with my brother. Before he got old his occupation was a sanding and finishing hardwood floors. He wanted me to see this beautiful home that he had installed, sanded and finished, but he needed to put the final coat on this Cherry floor. It was common that he would wait on the final coat until all of the construction work was done so the homeowner received a floor that was devoid of damage from the inevitable damage from the work crews.
When Jason left the jobsite a few months earlier he told the owner repeatedly, "if you put paper over this floor, cover it all".
As soon as the lady opened the door my brother muttered something under his breath. We could see in front of us in this multi-million dollar home that the traffic areas were covered in resin paper. Not from wall to wall, as my brother had recommended.
He asked her if she remembered him telling her about the paper. Her reply was yes, but her husband said it would be okay.
Her husband was wrong. And when we pulled up the paper, she started crying. And she was still crying when we left 2 hours later.
Her new Cherry hardwood floor was a completely different color in the areas where the sun had hit it. And she was having a dinner party that weekend!
Will it ever look like it is supposed to? Probably, but it may take a year. The lesson here is not to put anything on a floor in the first 60 days after being installed in your room, as that is when the floor will patina the most. No rugs on your floor for 2 months! And furniture should be shifted around weekly to keep from causing exposure lines in your floors.
Oak isn't so bad, but a Maple, Cherry, or Hickory floor needs to be babied a little.
Window treatments such as blinds or drapes can protect your floors, as can special low E gloss floor.
How Can You Save Big Bucks On Hardwood Flooring?
We can't save your floor from changing color due to sunlight but we can save you a ton of money on your next floor purchase. At ReallyCheapFloors.com we liquidate millions of square feet of hardwood and vinyl plank floors for some of the largest manufacturers in the country. Have a look at the great values we offer and give us a call.