Hi,
I installed Hickory; random width, rustic wide plank flooring in my home when I built it about ten years ago. The vendor / manufacture highly recommended (and sold) me Waterlox floor finish with tung oil. It is supposed to be transparent. It wasn't. It gave the white areas of the boards a yellow tint. I never did like it, but wasn't about to go through the agony of cleaning dust from the rest of the house twice and try something else. Everyone else thinks it looked good, but I didn't.
Some cupping and water damage a couple years ago persuaded me to re-finish the floor. The bulk of the sanding is complete and now I'm looking for suggestions for what to finish it with. This is the my fist and only hard wood floor, so I'm be no means an expert or even experienced at this. I'm not about to use the oil I used before unless I stain it first. I'd rather have a slight cherry color than that ugly yellow.
Suggestions from others who have either installed hard wood flooring, re-finished them or has some experience with staining / finishing Hickory would be great....