When repairing pre-finished hardwood flooring where it is necessary to replace individual boards, it is common for the replacement boards to vary in color-tone from the original installation.

Even though attempts are made to select replacement boards which best match the appearance of the existing floor, there is no guarantee that an exact match can be achieved. This problem becomes more likely as the time interval between initial installation and replacement increases. Repairs attempted three or more months after original installation will often result in color-tone mis-matches.

Wood is a product of nature, and although the flooring manufacturer uses the same stain formula year after year, the natural characteristics and density of each piece of wood affect how the final finish color turns out. Hardwood flooring milled from the same species of trees which are harvested under different environmental factors (i.e. soil conditions, rainfall amount, length of
growing season, climate, etc.) will appear to be different shades of color even when the same wood stain is applied.

In addition to color variations found from board to board in the original flooring installation, the overall floor also slowly changes color tone over time. This occurs with any hardwood manufacturer’s product, and is a natural aging process known as “patina” or “mellowing”. Once wood is exposed to normal light, both the actual wood fibers and the surface finish take on a patina or mellow producing golden tone to the original stain color. This process gives the wood flooring a richer, appearance as it ages. In time, the patina or mellowing of newer boards will catch up to older boards so that the color difference will gradually decrease and possibly disappear altogether.

Before making any repairs to pre-finished hardwood flooring, consider the potential consequence of not being able to closely match the color of the replacement boards to the color of the existing floor.