Will the stain on the old floor be darker than the new?

Q: I have a 100 year old house. We just pulled up the carpet and found the oak hardwood had some water damage. So we have pulled out all the bad spots, and are replacing with new unfinished oak. Once the whole floor is sanded, will the stain on the old floor be darker then the new?

A: I wouldn`t expect any significant difference. If you want to make the stain darker you can use a technique called water popping. Wet the surface (not soaked) let it dry and apply stain.

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Similar Q: I am putting hardwood flooring in my living room and will be blending it to the hallway wood which has been down for 17 years. When I pulled up the threshold between the carpet and old wood the exposed finish had gotten darker. Is this the finish getting darker by the sun? How do I match the tips of the pieces I am not removing?

A: I don’t think it is possible to get an exact match. You might stain the new wood to emulate the colour of the existing but it will still look different. You really need to have it all sanded and stained to get a better match.