What is a reactive stain?
A reactive stain is a type of wood floor finish that reacts with the tannins in the wood. This reaction causes the color of the stain to change, which makes the floor look unique and one-of-a-kind.
What is reactive staining NOT?
Reactive staining is not a type of paint or sealant. It is a type of finish that is applied to the wood after it has been stained. The finish will protect the wood from spills and scratches, and will also enhance the color of the stain.
The Procedure Traditional stains color the wood by covering it with paint, whereas reactive stains react with the natural components of the wood to generate a color. Reactive stains are devoid of pigment and create color from within the wood by engaging with the wood’s natural ingredients to produce a variety of distinctive 2-toned hues in broad ranges that can’t be obtained via normal staining procedures.
As a result
Reactive stains mimic the oxidation and maturation processes of naturally aged wood, giving an “aged” appearance. This natural aging process usually takes decades to complete. The reactive staining approach, on the other hand, may produce the same effect in minutes rather than years.
Fuming
Fuming is a modern, state-of-the-art reactive technique. Fumed (or smoked) wood has been exposed to ammonia, which reacts with the natural tannins in the wood to produce new hues and patterns. Because of its high tannin content, European oak is the species of choice for fuming/smoking.
Because the tannin content of the wood affects the intensity of the reaction, each board reacts somewhat differently from the next, resulting in greater color variety than untreated wood.
This statement is incorrect: fuming/smoking does not involve the application of ammonia into the wood. The change in color comes from the wood’s reaction to small amounts of ammonia in a confined space, not from ammonia itself. The tannins in the wood are brought to the surface by the ammonia. The more time the wood is exposed to ammonia, the darker it becomes, ranging from rich brown to almost black.
Reactive stains or fumes give unmatched hues and depth of color that can’t be achieved with traditional staining. Are you still unconvinced if a reactive stained or fumed floor is suitable for you? Take a look at some of our reactive stained floors in the French-inspired L’artiste collection or the ultra-wide Timbertop Lifestyle series to make your decision!
We highly recommend products from the “Ciranova” series.
