Matching New Hardwood to an Existing Floor: Why Stain Color Is the Hard Part

Adding on to a house, redoing one room at a time, or replacing flooring after damage all create the same challenge: making new hardwood boards blend into a floor that's already there instead of looking like an obvious patch. It's one of the more technical parts of a hardwood project, because wood color shifts with age and light exposure even before you factor in the stain itself.

Why matching an existing floor is harder than it looks

An existing hardwood floor has usually darkened or lightened somewhat from its original color, simply from years of sunlight and foot traffic, which means matching new boards isn't as simple as ordering the same product and stain color that went down originally. Idaho Hardwood Flooring's staining service is built around precision staining for floors that have faded or worn unevenly, and around matching stain color to existing woodwork, which is exactly this kind of problem. They use DuraSeal stains, from the variety of options DuraSeal offers.

Getting the stain right

Precision staining is the service Idaho Hardwood Flooring describes on their staining page, for wood floors that have faded or gone uneven. Their site says its detail-oriented technicians aim to make everything flow seamlessly together by choosing and applying the right wood stain.

What two customers wrote about matching

Heather N's review describes exactly this kind of project, done more than once: "Brian and his team are amazing. We have had them match our existing floors twice-we should have done it all the first time but we just did the second round. They are competitive with their pricing. They communicate well on timeframes and the floors are beautiful. My parents and friends have hired them as well." That's a homeowner who went through the matching process twice and came back for the second round, which says something about how the first one went.

Correcting a mismatch when it happens

Cari Ann K's review touches on a related point, a stain mismatch that came up during her family room installation and was corrected: "Brian was professional and always showed up when scheduled. His team did a very nice job installing the floors in my family room and tried to match to the existing floor color that was throughout the rest of the home. Brian was responsive and corrected the stain mismatch. His price is fair and good to work with." Matching wood tone is genuinely difficult, and a business willing to go back and fix it when the first attempt is off is worth noting.

More than one match, more than one happy customer

Other customers describe the same consistency. Turn Right S wrote: "We have done several jobs with Idaho Harwood Flooring and they have always had great prices and the quality is unmatched. I will continue to use there services." Kris G, whose project involved Brian returning for a second job, wrote: "Bryan returned for another project and was professional and knowledgeable." And Julie M summed it up simply: "Great professionals! Workmanship is a first priority and customer satisfaction is uppermost!" None of these mention matching by name, but they point at the same thing Heather N and Cari Ann K describe: customers who kept working with the same team.

Matching comes with the same warranty

Idaho Hardwood Flooring publishes a One-Year Labor Warranty on its installations, and has been in business since 2009 as a National Wood Floors Association member. Cari Ann K's review says Brian was responsive and corrected the stain mismatch.

What to bring to your consultation

If you're adding hardwood next to an existing floor, bring a sample of what you already have, or better yet have the installer see it in person under your home's actual lighting, since light changes how stain colors read. Idaho Hardwood Flooring offers free consultations: fill out the form on its contact page and a representative will contact you by the next business day. You can also reach them at (208) 547-5571.