Would you stain Brazlilian cherry?

[kateb]

Hi - anyone have brazilian cherry wood floor that has been stained?
I'm looking for a dark red/brown color and have heard good things
about B/C as floor choice but like the darker look. Any recommendations?
Thanks!

[bkrahmer]

If it were me, I would only consider using a product that didn't contribute to the elimination of rain forests and the like. Did you know that 97% of the rain forests in Brazil compared to approximately 100 years ago are now gone?

[montytx]

We laid it in a house last year. I was a prefinished solid plank. Looked great. But I think it just had a urethane on it. Very strong durable wood. Just like any other wood, I would think you could stain it just fine. Bit IMO it is a beautiful deep red wood and does not need a stain.

[Tom R]

I wouldn't stain it, either, - - the beauty of Cherry is the patina it takes on as it ages.

[kateb]

Thanks for the input! I would, of course, look for wood floor that is from a manufacturer w/ "sustainable forrestry" practices.

[rgramjet]

Hey Kate,
We just put down 1,000 feet of Brazilian Teak (Yellow Cumaru). Havent sanded or finished yet but we have tried a couple of test patches. Clear, golden brown and red oak. The clear doesnt do the grain justice IMO. The red oak made the redder pieces too red. The golden brown toned down the red pieces and brought out the grain pattern very nicely.

My vote is for the golden brown and Ill give you a report after the floor is finished.

We did have a problem with a batch of the flooring. Grain was absolutley gorgeous but the milling was so inconsistant that it could not be laid properly. Some pieces had a 1/8" difference in width. We are using 5" planks.

Good luck!