Hardwood Floors June/July 2019

AT THE SITE I Color & Finish Repairs for Wood Flooring (Continued)

or speckling of color can be all that is necessary to offset a badmatch. Some manufacturers have developed tinted spray/aerosol finishes for this purpose specifically. If you don’t have the tinted aerosol in your arsenal, you can add small specks of color with a fine-tipped paintbrush to adjust the color and trick the eye. If you have a color repair that looks too green, you can add a very slight dusting of red to offset it. If your repair is too red, add a dusting of green. A repair that’s too yellow can be offset with a dusting of violet. If the repair looks too orange, add a dusting of blue. Layer the repair – Once your base color is set and completely dried, you’ll need to lock in the color.This can be accomplished using a quick-drying sealer. If the repair color was replicated using a wood floor stain, you should be able to apply the first coat of finish to begin the finish-building process. Be cautious because the type of sealer you choose will affect the color andmust be compatible with topcoats. If the color was achieved by using dyes, reactives, colorant sticks, or markers, you’ll need to lock them in with something that doesn’t reactivate or pull it.This can be accomplished using a spray finish. A light aerosol spray coat can lock in underlying colors and allow for a layered repair. Grain replacement – When necessary, you may need to begin replacing the grain and other characteristics of the board. Use fine feather-tip markers, graining pencils, or dye powders with proper solvent and a fine-tipped paintbrush to replicate these characteristics. Make a selection of color closest to the overall grain color. Carefully follow the grain

pattern from outside the repair area through the repair to the other side. Don’t overdo the graining; less is more. Once you’re happy, again lock in the colors with the spray finish. You can use this process to recreate knots, burls, mineral streaks, or any characteristic the repair calls for. Through layering and color replacement, experienced wood repair artists can replicate the natural chatoyant characteristics as seen in curly grain, rippling, and in birdseye figuring, giving the viewer the illusion of a three-dimensional surface. Building finish – Once the color has been replaced, the graining and character have been added, and you’re happy with the results, it’s time to build the finish up to the surrounding levels. This is easy if you know the type of finish and number of coats you’re matching. It can be difficult if you don’t. Generally speaking, apply one coat at a time, per manufacturer-recommended spread rate, and allow it to adequately dry before applying more coats. In the repair world, you are often required to think outside the traditional application box. Some finishes may be able to be cut or thinned down using the appropriate solvent (check with the manufacturer before altering product). This can allow you to lay down multiple thinner coats of finish. The benefit of this is that you’ll be able to dial in the necessary build to the surrounding finish. Some finishes may also be receptive to speed-drying, which involves introducing heat and airflow to the drying finish, allowing for multiple coats in a shorter timeframe. Again, check with the manufacturer to determine the proper use and limitations of the product.

surrounding areas to determine which base color to begin with. Identify the different color shades in the surrounding wood, such as the differences between heartwood and sapwood, as well as the differences in color from earlywood to latewood. Adjusting color – When you need to adjust the intensity of the color you’re using, you can do this by simply addingwhite, black, or gray to your base color.When referencing color theory, addingwhite to a color is referred to as tint. Addingwhite to any stain or dye creates a lighter version of the color; how much you addwill dictate the intensity of the color. Adding black to a color is referred to as a shade. Adding black to any stain or dye creates a darker shade of the color; howmuch you addwill dictate the intensity of the color. A50-50mixture of black andwhite gives you gray. Adding gray to a color is referred to as a tone. When working with brown colors, try to keep it simple by considering brown as a shade of orange. Orange comes from mixing red and yellow. Orange mixed with black creates brown. Adding white to brown gives you a tan color. You can adjust the tone of brown or tan based on the amount of black or white added at each step. You can also adjust where the brown falls within the color wheel by adding a little red or green (depending on what you’re trying to match). The key is keeping track of the amounts of each added through the process, in case you need to repeat or match at a later time. When your color is off, you can counter the effect by going to the opposite (complementary) color on the color wheel. Using opposites to trick the eye and to cancel out overbearing color is an easyway tomake adjustments. Adusting

70 hardwood floors www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com