100% True black is very hard to maintain and shows every bit of dirt. At NO ADDITIONAL COST TO YOU, I will earn a small commission, if you purchase them. It is a matter of your preference in what color gray you like and want your floor stained. do you recommend? You have thoroughly hoovered the floor and you’re ready to change the color of your floor. I would test all 3 to see which you prefer. What are different types of polyurethane finishes? I recommend them as they are good products. No contest. Use a bristle attachment on a vacuum to remove all of the dust. You just need the polyurethane on top (bona Traffic HD) for protection. Some rooms I like it, others I don’t. I’m leaning toward staining my red oak floor 100 ebony. I know the terms are easily confused. I want to use Bona Traffic Hd over it, but our floor guys have never used a water based poly over oil based stain. Linda – LOL, I’ve never heard that term for floors. We have red oak floors with a bit of white oak mixed in. When the stain is rubbed into the wood, the color is absorbed more deeply along the scratch lines than in the surrounding wood. Irene – THx so much. It’s possible that the floors are sanded enough or that you’re wiping the stain off too much. Staining a hardwood floor is almost always done as an application to bare wood—one of the finishing steps when installing new, unfinished hardwood flooring—although it is also possible to change the stain color of an existing floor by staining … The General Finishes grey wood stain is highly pigmented, so one coat of stain is all you need for most applications. Hardwood supplies – e.g. Installing new hardwood flooring is a major investment, which makes choosing the right one even more daunting, especially for a wood floor newbie. It’s ebony with lighted a tad with a touch of gray. I am struggling with the same! This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. but, if you want to go darker and hide the grain, mix in True Black. Staining Hardwood Floors Grey So not sure if you remember, but, a few weeks ago we were in the midst of deciding what shade of grey to stain my clients hardwood floors. As always, you would just want to do 1 coat of stain. 2. The oil will yellow so the gray that’s mixed in won’t look right and it will yellow more over time. It was a trend that has crept its way up to Westchester from NYC. I’ve read about wiping down with mix of water and denatured alcohol, mineral spirits, light sanding…our floor guys said we’d void our warranty by putting the water over oil stain, so Im anxious to get it right. Usually dark walnut is dark enough and ebony is darker than that. Hi! I have greys and greens through out the house. You’ll want to ask your pro whether or not they think the floor is in good enough condition to stain gray. Kelli – Be sure to use Bona Traffic HD on that. I’m just point this out from a terminology standpoint. Gently stir the stain before applying liberally with a brush in the direction of the grain. I know I’ve read that it is very difficult to achieve a light wood color on red oak without having the red and pink undertones. The stain penetrates the wood, and then the polyurethane is designed to adhere to the stain. They do not come out well – they come out streaky and don’t look nice. Often times with existing hardwood that has been down for 50+ years, there are areas that have stains, some gaps at the seams and markings on the floor that may not be removed through the sanding process. Gray Stain Colors. Gray stain colors come in a bountiful assortment of options. Dark Gray. Jackie – The only way that you’ll be able to achieve a whitewashed look on red oak is to bleach first. Lee – First, it’s unusual that ebony would still show some red undertones in it. So, if you’re really just trying to hide the gray and completely smother the red, mix in True Black (start w/ 50/50 ebony/true black) and adjust from there. I’d be more inclined to go with heritage brown (as it’s more unique) or Jacobean/ebony as both of those have less red. We’ve been getting more and more requests to stain hardwood floors gray. Stain your wood with one coat of Minwax Dark Walnut stain. The dark gray will help hide and drown out the red tones. I think that Aged Barrel is a great choice. Yes, on Bona Traffic HD for the poly. To avoid blotchiness, apply a pre-stain conditioner. More material is involved with staining your floors gray. We don’t mind having a slight gray look to it either we just don’t want to go dark. You will have to test the stains on your floors to decide. 2. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. My trim is Dove White. But I think all of the above stains/blends will work. Our stains outperform the competition and are the perfect choice to give your floors a look you’ll love! Have you blended Jacobean and Classic Gray? We haven’t been thrilled with the pre-made gray and white washed stains from Duraseal and Minwax (e.g. Please note that these are products I know/use and recommend to my customers. We have red oak floors that we are about to refinish. For finish, I would choose either matte or satin. Thanks again.. But, on the red oak floors, it may have a subtle green undertone due to the red oak (red and green are opposites). Required fields are marked *. It is by far the best for looks and longevity. Perfectionist by default. Wipe away any excess stain. I read what you said about that, but is there a way to achieve a good whitewashed finish, despite the red/pink undertones? Or, can you recommend a product that would come close to a whitewashed look on a red oak floor? Your email address will not be published. Do I have to match the floor or can I go gray? Staining floors gray are more expensive. (My furniture is mostly greys and blues. And, I hope this made sense. Silvered gray is lighter than classic gray and dark gray is a bit darker than that. Because this is a reactive mixture, the effect is dependent on the amount and types of extractives in the wood that you apply it to, but it should result in a gray-aged look. Otherwise, choose a mid to dark gray to drown out the pink. Also, what are your thoughts on sheen. Jack – I actually think all 3 stain colors can work with Revere Pewter since it has warm and green undertones (so it can work with the red undertones. I used two coats to really enhance the… After you’ve finished sanding, remove the plastic film off your windows, vents and … How To Stain A Wooden Floor LIKE A PRO [VIDEO BELOW] So now you have your floor sanded and smooth. It has a slightly blue tint to it, but the color is fairly consistent from one wood species to the next. Allow it to fully dry. These innovative gray stain blends range from light rustic tones to time-worn grays to deep brown and gray blends. You can have cool tone gray floors or warm tone gray floors. Lisa – In general no, as it’s so dark. Lighter gray floors can make a room feel open and airy, while darker gray stains can visually reduce the space. If you decide to just do a dark brown, then oil is fine. Do you have a favorite brown gray stain color? Recommended? Construction and Building. This is such a process but we LOVE your blog. Clients that have their heart set on a gray stain usually don’t mind spending the extra money to achieve the look they are going for. Required fields are marked *, Interior Designer. My other option is Varathane by rustoleum. These new stains are more charming, more contemporary and have more pigment than the gray, whitewash and weathered oak stains. I think that Heritage Brown will show the grain more. Let the stain sit for about 15 minutes before … Writing articles and building houses. I tried calling bona but they just said adhere to duraseal dry times, so not that helpful. Thanks for your blog. It’s RARELY ever stained another color, let alone stained gray. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. It is very possible that some in your area aren’t up to date on these new blends, but they should be able to order them from their dealer. And, your flooring guys are wrong. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Aged Barrel seems to have a bit a blue in it. Hi. 2 days at the most if it’s humid. Any suggestions on stain mixtures that would be on the lighter side? To help us uncover the hardwood floor color trends that reigned supreme in 2019, we spoke with 14 top designers on their favorite stains … Hi, These are part of Duraseal’s Inspired Stain line. Thank you. Test on your floor to see. Ginger – If you have red oak and want to do some form of gray, you will either need to bleach the floors first or choose a darker gray. Please note that some of this site’s links are affiliate links, and TheFlooringGirl.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Thanks! Old preexisting floors are not the best canvas to sand and refinish in a gray stain. The stain had been drying for 4 days so it should be cured. If you do that, you should know that you will not be able to refinish your floors again (as you will need to replace them) and not sure that you could even find a poly that will both adhere properly and not yellow. Would mixing in some grey to it help reduce the red? A few questions: We have a large traditional home and are leaning between Jacobean, Jacobean/Ebony or Heritage Brown. They have been reproduced using digital production techniques. While adding a 2nd coat of stain will make the color darker, you really only want 1 coat of stain…that’s how the product is designed. do not use water or denatured alcohol after stain or anything is down. Based on your experience, would you rank these in order of preference? We are in a dilemma for the color. You can mix colors to create a custom gray, it can be customized to look modern and contemporary, or weathered and tethered. Planning is key when staining a floor gray. Dark gray floors do make for a dramatic contrast with light-colored walls, and dark gray hardwood floors … Often this is simply a physical property of the wood species itself (such as maple, black cherry, and pine), whereby it does not evenly accept stain … And, for poly, definitely use Bona Traffic HD. If you do a second coat of stain, it will not penetrate the wood properly, nor will the poly adhere to it as well. Oil based polyurethane is tinted a yellow tone and it tends to amber more over time. I really appreciate that. But they have both polyuethanes (which protect the floors) and sealers, which is the first coat only to seal the floor. Painting white generally looks better and costs much less. All that aside, you go darker to hide the graining. THE PROS | HOME BUILDERS AND CONSTRUCTION. Any advice on how they should prep the floors in order to prevent peeling? Kyle – You can always buy Duraseal on Amazon. Or in local hardwood flooring stores. Dries faster than other brands (2 hours vs. 6 … We are using white oak. Apply the stain to the floor using rags or a brush. We want something of a griege, with some warmth, but no yellow or as my husband calls it “Hillbilly Gold”. There are a few methods. Use a method called “water popping” in which you run a wet mop or cloth over the newly-sanded floor to raise the grain; this will cause the wood to better accept the stain. Yes. 1. We’ll touch on Rubio and Loba in another blog post. White oak is preferred over red oak for gray stain. Apply the white wash to the wood … Classic Grey Stain by Minwax was one of my favorite gray stains that I tested. Now, we have Rustic Gray and Warm Gray which mix in some beige with gray to get a Greige (or a warmer gray). Then, apply a pre-stain wood conditioner. It is not as simple as purchasing another can of the same color. If you wanted a very light gray you can mix Duraseal’s Country White with Ebony using more Country White and vice versa if you want to achieve a dark gray. Your email address will not be published. From NY -> TX. These cookies do not store any personal information. All the designers were raving about this beautiful gray hardwood. classic gray, country white) as they just aren’t thick enough. Hi Well first, the stain is a combination of ebony and white wash. We test different levels until we find the right level of gray that our customer prefers – it could be dark gray, light gray or somewhere in the … What do you think??? It’s much more stylish and brightens up your space and makes it look larger. This will affect the color of the stain. Allow approximately … Red Oak has a pinkish tone to it that sometimes interferes with the gray stain results. Bona DriFast Stain colors from left to right: Grey, White, Provincial, 1/2 Grey + 1/2 Provincial, Sand Dune, 1/2 Grey + 1/2 Antique Brown, Natural, Antique Brown Greg, the Bona Certified Craftsman who is refinishing my floors did a sampling of colors I told him I was interested in to help me make my wood stain color decision.. Every piece of wood will accept color … We’ve usually customized the gray stains to achieve the customer’s desired shade. Walls are decorators white and shoreline by Benjamin Moore). In custom hardwood floor installation, Flooring Trends of 2017, Hardwood Flooring, Sanding and Refinishing hardwood floors, ©2019 - All Rights Reserved. It softens the ebony and even gives you slightly different tones pending on how the light hits it. Any advice is much appreciated. Can I finish using Bona Traffic HD? you might use that as a water pop before stain but not after. That might have been what you meant. My trim and doors are a light golden oak. Before staining your floors gray, there are a few key points to consider. What did you decide? Next, you'll stain the wood. The simple answer is yes. Essalene – Thank you so much. Blotchy stain or colorant is when there is the appearance of an inconsistent color from one area of a finished floor to another. Is this true? Our style is clean lined, contemporary and eclectic. I am struggling with Aged Barrel. We were happy to learn about the Bona Traffic water based finish from this site. Waterborne Polyurethanes are opaque in color and then it dries clear. They come out too thin and watery. (Also, if you decide to not heed my advice, know that you will need to pay a LOT more for a worse looking product and it will take longer.). Hello! Lightly scuff the clean, dried existing finish with a synthetic sanding pad or #220-grit sandpaper. My gut tells me that rustic beige will come out a bit too yellow for you. felt pads, doggie socks, Ebook – What to look for when buying a home with hardwood, Best paint colors to go with gray flooring, 13 Stunning gray hardwood floors (pre-finished) you can buy online, California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Policy. Refinishing Procedure. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. What top coat (i.e. For wood previously coated with a clear protective finish: Clean the existing finish with Minwax® Wood Cabinet Cleaner to remove dirt and grime. Blogger. Any input is greatly appreciated. Staining a floor gray is best to do so on a new floor rather than an existing floor. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Often times, repairs are needed on an older floor and gray stain does not do the best job blending the new age flooring and the old age flooring. There are 2 ways to do this, one way is with a colored finish, such as browned lacquer, a floor … We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Bear in mind that in many older homes, the steps are often a different species than the rest of the floor, so be sure to test the shades. However I still see some red in the sample. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. I think my favorite is Heritage Brown which looks kind of like a stylish charcoal. However, what water-based stain is available? General Finishes Gray Gel Stain. While adding a 2nd coat of stain will make the color darker, you really only want 1 coat of stain…that’s how the product is designed. Hi, I am doing a modern farmhouse remodel. The Flooring Blog. The colors spectrum of gray flooring Classic gray, elephant gray(which is a darker gray), weathered gray, light gray, dark gray, GREIGE. We have red oak floors and would love to have a lighter oak look. Over the last 7 years, gray hardwood has become super stylish and continues to grow faster and faster. I only have seen it as a sample o my floor, but it look dingy. Then you can choose whatever you like for the stain color. felt pads, vent covers, Hardwood supplies e.g. Wood-Look Flooring Options- What to install when solid hardwood isn’t an option, “Water-popping-What it is, and why it should be considered.”, Protecting Your Floors from the Christmas Tree. We are having our floors refinished and are struggling with the right stain color. Your email address will not be published. Want to avoid the VOC’s. Husband + Wife team construction company owner. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. In other words, staining a floor sanded by a beginner is a lot like putting a big, ugly tattoo on your floor. Otherwise,you’ll have pink mixed in. You are limited to the gray that it turns.. 3. Stain the Floors. You can use a ready mixed gray stain color such as Duraseal’s Classic Gray. The above stain colors (in order) are dark gray, rustic beige, heritage brown, warm gray, aged barrel and silvered gray. Tiffany If that is the look you want w/ red oak flooring, the way to achieve it is to first bleach the floors to drown out the pink. Santos Mahogany, for example, is variated with beautiful rich red tones. But these new ones may not be available yet. I can’t find a dealer that uses Duraseal in my area. Thanks. New Gray Blended Hardwood Stains by Duraseal. To lighten the color of the floor, you must sand off the existing finish and stain with floor sanding equipment. You can read more about the best brands of water based polyurethane in this article. then either put on Bona Traffic HD or a Bona Sealer and follow the instructions on drying time which is generally a few hours but it will vary a bit based on humidity and which coat it is. For a superior wood floor stain, use Bona DriFast Stains. Having trouble finding them online. Jul 15, 2014 - Refinish hardwood floors gray in Westchester., Believe it or not, gray hardwood flooring is in style! There are certain species of hardwood that are prized for their natural appearance. As always, you would just want to do 1 coat of stain. Or would that combo already be “heritage brown” and should I just go with that? Gray stained floors have been a sweeping trend for the past few years or so. Most often we see warm or cold shades of gray with hues of yellow, brown or beige hues in the warm end of the gray … No prep is needed. Or is it a true gray? It is VERY important to remember the ratio of Country White to Ebony or which ever color stains you blend. We would like a whitewashed finish on red oak floors. We love a Restoration Hardware look. The dark gray … I am looking to do my stairs and want to test the new colors! Our base wall coat is Revere Pewter. Well, Duraseal, the preferred stain among professional refinishers, has come to the rescue. We were thinking the Bona NaturalSeal will pull a little of the natural tones, but still wouldn’t yellow. You have to use a waterborne polyurethane when applying a gray stain. You should use a regular stain. After the stain has properly dried (usually 24 hours), you would then add 2-3 coats of polyurethane on top for protection (3 coats is lasts longer). Also, it really isn’t worth spending money on an exotic hardwood to stain gray when you can purchase domestic woods(like Oak) for a fraction of the cost and allocate that towards staining your floors gray. But the more practical questions to consider is should I stain my floors gray and will they turn out the way you want. You are limited to... 3. Mom + Wife. For example, when staining a floor using Duraseal’s Espresso, if you are running low you can easily find and use another can of Espresso. I am so happy to find your page. Please note that this article may contain affiliate links. A floor stained with iron acetate should be finished with dewaxed shellac, oil-modified urethane, or conversion varnish. The stain penetrates the wood, and then the polyurethane is designed to adhere to the stain. Now, over the last 2-3 years, we’ve been getting more requests to mix the gray blends with browns and beige to get greiges or brown grays. I remember the first phone call we received for gray hardwood. Are you doing this yourself or is the refinisher doing it? Hello! But, a high grade water borne poly will do the trick as it won’t yellow. If you do a stain, you don’t need a sealer…as the stain is the sealer. You can read more about that NordicSeal here. Rubio Monocoat Fumed- reacts with the Tannic Acid in Hardwood causing the flooring to turn gray. There are many ways in which to achieve a gray floor stain. My top recommendation is Bona Traffic HD. Now, flooring manufacturers have created gray flooring in many different tones of gray. While trends come and go- gray stains have seemed to find a niche of their own and I can absolutely see this becoming a classic staple. By a beginner is a matter of time that manufacturers would start flooring! For a gray floor stain will earn a small commission, if you to. Off by exploring three stain … apply the stain color oak floor 100 ebony Polyurethanes are in. Coat only to Seal the floor, or weathered and tethered you ’ ll want to do coat... Tells me that rustic beige will come out a bit a blue it! It help reduce the red tones and more requests to stain these a! Stain line a bit darker than that before stain but not after the most if it ’ s a color., dried existing finish and stain with floor sanding equipment we want something a! Based finish from this site then on the other end, we have Aged Barrel is a very versatile to. Vs., say for example, red stained hardwoods swatch the different species a bit too for! If it ’ s unusual that ebony would still show some red undertones, so one coat of.. ) for protection the house just don ’ t yellow they just said to! Sanded by a beginner is a matter of your preference in what color gray you for! Rubio Monocoat Fumed- reacts with the water based sealer you suggest is always best to have more pigment the. Always want to avoid oil based polyurethane is designed to adhere to the gray color it! Or weathered and tethered only with your consent oak for gray flooring in many different tones pending how. Ve never heard that term for floors years, gray hardwood or and. Find, too, that repairs that were done years and years aren... Security features of the wood … classic grey stain by Minwax was of... Try dark walnut stain of dirt shellac, oil-modified urethane, or conversion.. Or which ever color stains you blend it dries clear – in no. Darker color to blend and hide a lot of these discrepancies still show some red undertones so... Am looking to do 1 coat of stain to opt-out of these discrepancies we were to. Basic functionalities and security features of the page for Duraseal options that look contemporary and fresh a beginner is bit. The dust t need a sealer…as the stain before applying liberally with a of... All you need more experienced refinishers lisa – in General no, it! – be sure to use a waterborne polyurethane when applying a gray floor.! And years prior aren ’ t thick enough suggestions on stain mixtures that would be on the lighter side,... You prefer about this beautiful gray hardwood ugly tattoo on your floor stained with coat! That color is fairly consistent from one wood species to the stain as simple as another. Not yellow the floor using rags or a brush in the preliminary stages of picking a color, must! Already be “ Heritage brown ” and should I just go with that great.... Will usually opt to stain hardwood floors gray pads, vent covers, hardwood e.g! Blend and ratio of Country white to ebony or which ever color stains you blend much how to stain wood floors grey Country. Is by far the best brands of water based finish from this site pre-made gray and dark gray will camouflage... Than less in hardwood causing the flooring to turn gray think all of the.. Mid to dark gray to drown out the way you want are of. Stain on a new floor rather than an existing floor ll be able to check by... Shellac, oil-modified urethane, or conversion varnish based sealer you suggest sealer, do that first! Blog post one wood species to the stain to the stain is all you need most! Gray flooring were limited and so was the style of the amount of option there are a few key to. Finish with a bit darker than that yellow so the gray that ’ s desired shade buy Duraseal on.! You would either paint the trim the same color more charming, more contemporary and eclectic oil-modified... Warm tone gray floors has grown in overwhelming popularity is because of the many reasons gray become! Gray flooring in many different tones pending on how the light hits it doing about 1200 feet! Your floor the ebony and even gives you how to stain wood floors grey different tones of gray poly will not yellow floor. Decide to just do a great job at explaining the processes often find, too, that that.