Oak question

[Dan Bundy]

Does oak get darker or lighter as it ages? I was asked this and said darker, but the more I thought about the more I wasn't sure. DB

[John Miliunas]

Does oak get darker or lighter as it ages? I was asked this and said darker, but the more I thought about the more I wasn't sure. DB

I believe you're right, Dan, though I'm sure the piece's environment has much to do with it. From stuff I've made and the environment those pieces are in, I can say that they are indeed darker than the day they were completed. :cool:

[Glenn Clabo]

Oak darkens...not as much as cherry...but it turns more golden. White oak darkens less than red.

[Mark Hulette]

Hey Dan!

Good to see back in the Creek! Are you keeping HD in business? :p

Your question got me to thinking, which is always a dangerous thing, about another trac from the answer. Most woods do darken with age but do any woods get lighter? If so, why?

I made a wagon out of red oak for my daughter a while back and just "finished" it with clear poly. Like Glenn said it has gotten a little darker but not a whole lot.

Good to hear from you!

PS- did you get in on the router deal at HD a couple of weeks ago?

[Steve Jenkins]

One that pops to mind is Walnut. It will lighten considerably with age. Steve

[Mark Hulette]

One that pops to mind is Walnut. It will lighten considerably with age. Steve

No kidding!?!

I've done several things in walnut and haven't noticed a change. Maybe it hasn't been long enough? That's probably one of the last woods I would've thought would lighten. Learn something new every day!

[Don Brillhart]

Does oak get darker or lighter as it ages? I was asked this and said darker, but the more I thought about the more I wasn't sure. DB
I have made lots of oak items over the past 38 years. I have finished them in Golden & Dark Provincial finishes and have not noticed any significant color change. This includes white and red oak.
Don Brillhart

[Lynn Sonier]

Another wood that lightens is teak. It goes from a golden brown to gray. Thats the color Norm loves to get on his outdoor teak furniture. Myself, I keep sanding and refinishing the teak on my sailboat. Eventually, I will just have slivers of wood left.

[Jim Becker]

I've done several things in walnut and haven't noticed a change. Maybe it hasn't been long enough? That's probably one of the last woods I would've thought would lighten. Learn something new every day!

I believe that the drying method will affect how noticeable this lightening effect will be. Generally air-dried walnut is a lot more interesting in color aspects since it hasn't been changed in color like kiln dried walnut. When walnut is put in a steam kiln (as is normal for this species), the sapwood turns darker and the heartwood turns lighter...all to the same ruddy brown color. They do this to maximize yield. Unfortunately, it also destroys all the nice browns, purples and greens normally in this wood.

[Glenn Clabo]

Don,
I believe that's because you jump started it with stain. Cherry works like that also. If the stain is close to it's ultimate darkness it won't be very additive.
I have an old oak table without stain that I repaired with new wood. I had to stain the new with golden oak and even after 10 years...you can't tell where I fixed.

[Mark Mazzo]

Dan,

Funny, I would have said that Red Oak lightens with exposure to sunlight (don't know about White Oak).

We have red oak floors in our house and the area under our kitchen table that is covered with an area rug is darker than the surrounding wood that is exposed to daily sunlight. The red in the Oak under the rug is still there, but the surrounding wood is more golden. It is finished with a clear poly.

Maybe the sunlight is just bleaching the Oak, but it definitely does not seem to be doing what our Natural Cherry kitchen cabinets are doing...getting darker with the sun exposure.

-- Mark

[Lee Schierer]

I've made several items from red oak. The ones that were left natural color have turned golden color with age if they were finished with polyurethane. The ones finished with lacquer (Deft Clear wood finish) have pretty much retained their original color. Projects that were stained seem to have stayed the same color.

[Dan Bundy]

Hey Dan!

Good to see back in the Creek! Are you keeping HD in business? :p

Your question got me to thinking, which is always a dangerous thing, about another trac from the answer. Most woods do darken with age but do any woods get lighter? If so, why?

I made a wagon out of red oak for my daughter a while back and just "finished" it with clear poly. Like Glenn said it has gotten a little darker but not a whole lot.

Good to hear from you!

PS- did you get in on the router deal at HD a couple of weeks ago?

My shop shuts down for the summer because it's uninsulated and un-ACed, plus there's too much other stuff to do (golf, yard work, etc.) so I haven't been to HD in a long time. Which answers the other question about the router deal, although I was unaware of it, so I guess that's two "nos". I seem to always find out about those things too late to take advantage of them. Oh, well.