Oh hi Matt. Which are the best brands of polyurethane, Recommended cleaning products and accessories to maintain floors and reduce scratches, https://theflooringgirl.com/hardwood-flooring/which-are-the-best-polyurethane-brands-for-floors-which-do-i-recommend.html, https://theflooringgirl.com/hardwood-flooring/minwax-vs-duraseal-stain-better-hardwood-floors.html, https://www.amazon.com/Dura-Seal-Penetrating-Finish-Quick/dp/B002EDRXW4, https://www.bona.com/en-US/Bona-Professional/Products/Coatings/Stains/Bona-DriFast-Stain/, https://www.amazon.com/DS-QC-EBONY-131-G/dp/B00ISXFBRS/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1516804243&sr=8-10&keywords=duraseal+stain, California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Policy. The staining process is very delicate and it must be done continuously. In the far right picture, the sample on the right is 3 parts white to 1 ebony, middle is 5:1, left is 4:1. Superior wood stain saves time, energy and provides a great value. Will try ebony duraseal and bona. I’ll try to ask my guy what he uses, but I think it’s just regular bleach. I hope this makes sense. I would wait at least 8 hrs before walking on floor (w/ socks), but 24 hrs is even better. Dave – You have to combine the mix in a different can. It is VERY important to remember the ratio of Country White to Ebony or which ever color stains you blend. Are you using Duraseal ebony and Bona White? I edited this photo to turn down the highlights so you could see the color and grain better. Douglas Fir, Braz Cherry and American Cherry), that generally dark walnut comes out darker that ebony on those species. Thanks for the quick response. And, medium brown doesn’t look good…it comes out too red, especially on red oak. Take Samples Home. If you have a wood that is naturally red (e.g. Hi! I am finding your blog very helpful, thanks for all of your tips! Gray stain colors come in a bountiful assortment of options. I would probably get it in satin (or else potentially matte). 2. they both look very nice. I see I missed some of your other questions. Furthermore, the floors aren’t protected from water (or pet accidents). You may want to look around for a contractor who is more confident in this arena and has more experience with grays and mixes. Dry how long before putting the Bona traffic? Instead, you would use Woca natural soap and the Woca Wood Refresher. In the above pictures, you see different ratios of white:ebony. It’s not my first choice. That’s great, I appreciate that. My question is, in talking to various contractors, the color I’m looking for (medium brown with cool tone browns, slight grey, not too dark) they are telling me it would be a mix and since I’ve got so much floor to do (over 2,000 square feet) it will be hard to mix the same mixture for the whole house. You can read my full disclosure at the bottom of the page. Hardwood supplies – e.g. I’ve never heard of that technique. I really wanted a gray floor but due to the nature of the red tone in red oak floor is very hard to achieve the color. I would stay away from the new duraseal colors. Liz – I understand your concern with the bleach. We generally start darker and then cut in more white until we find the right ratio for the customer. Now, flooring manufacturers have created gray flooring in many different tones of gray. These items cost more than the typical hardwood cleaners, but at least you can make repairs as scratches occur. Husband + Wife team construction company owner. I really appreciate it. 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 middle. Stain the Floors. What product from Bona do you recommend? We’ll touch on Rubio and Loba in another blog post. It looks more natural and a bit more rustic. We would know what the results of Brazilian hardwood floors stained to grey would look like. In custom hardwood floor installation, Flooring Trends of 2017, Hardwood Flooring, Sanding and Refinishing hardwood floors, ©2019 - All Rights Reserved. Deirdre – Yes, gray is challenging. he sanded my white oak floors to the bare original conditon, is there alight stain color you can possibly recommend. The species of wood and number of coats dramatically changes the color of this particular grey wood stain. Wish my floor guy were more interested in working with me (stuck with him as he’s GC guy), but he’s asked me to pick 3-4 cans at most. Floor guys did gray stain mixed white gray and black … stain on bullnose stairs look like paint instead of stain how can we fix before applying poly? Apply final coat. Apply one coat of stain. Do I buff or anything before applying the poly? Here's how to get the gray look on your hardwood.. I really like the stain options you have shown on the picture with red oak on top and white oak on the bottom. Old preexisting floors are not the best canvas to sand and refinish in a gray stain. These a combo of light and dark grays as well as greiges (gray/brown blends) and you may want to check those out in this article:  Duraseal’s new gray and greige blend line. Want to see the floor cleaning products I recommend? HI Flooring Girl, I so glad to stumble on your blog. 1. If you do a traditional brown stain, you can either use oil based or water borne poly. However, we don’t like any of them and we’re concerned at this point that we may not be able to get the gray color we want. DOWNLOAD YOUR FLOOR TIMELINE HERE! He went the route of 2x coats of white followed by 1x coat of grey staining which turned out beautifully! Freshly installed hardwood is the perfect starting point for a gray stain. Which duraseal browns have a green tint? And….have you seen the brand new duraseal colors?! The best way is to bleach first (and damage wood) and then do the gray mix. It will be lighter than doing oil based poly and lighter than it is now (in fact, when you refinish, it will be lighter anyway as you’re removing the top layer (it’s like when you have a suntan and you’re skin continues to replace itself. A lot of gray and brown, super cool. Test the stains carefully (before applying). Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Drill Brushes and Floor Sander: How to Refinish a Hardwood Floor. Have you worked out on dark wood before ? Pls see my other comment. You can see all my recos on my Amazon Influencer page. Do I do a light sand on the stain before my first coat of poly? And, you can buy these products on Amazon and have them shipped directly to you. I can’t see it so I’m just hypothesizing. You would want to mix stains using ebony and white for the gray and then some form of brown e.g. Your guy will have to be patient. I know you said don’t sand after the stain but it was bugging me a few places I needed to feather so I ended up doing it throughout the floor to kind of blend in some areas and I think it came out pretty sweet once I evened everything out. Find one here. You can find the link on this page to buy on Amazon. The other downsides to oiled floors are that they cost more (significantly more) and they have a longer curing time (which means it will be longer before you can move your furniture in. Also, you should not be walking on the floors until after the last coat of poly has dried. Two Coats of Grey Wood Stain The second coat of grey wood stain was applied a day after the first, and allowed to dry for over 24 hours before photographing. Buff before 2nd coat? I realize this may mean darker, but curious your thoughts. Happy holidays! But, I’d always advise against mixing the poly (e.g. Or is that just asking for trouble? 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. At NO ADDITIONAL COST TO YOU, I will earn a small commission, if you purchase them. Hardwood that has just been installed will not have any old finish that can have an affect on the way the gray stain is taken by the wood. I’m looking to do 3 coats of the Bona HD water based poly. I know this is strictly an opinion question, so bare with me. There is no right or wrong answer. In the left photo is 7:1. And, so glad it’s turned out so well. Wait at least 3-4 hrs. Thank you so much. You’ll want to ask your pro whether or not they think the floor is in good enough condition to stain gray. How long to dry? Yes, you’ll have to look at the samples together with the birch. Hi Flooring Girl! We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. I will keep you posted. But, I would test 7 to 1, 5 to 1, 3 to 1. Marte – Thank you so much. It came out like paint to me! What tbar tools or applicator pads are recommended? (It dries out the wood a bit…just like hair dyes dry out your air…I think due to the ammonia). It was so helpful. What are different types of polyurethane finishes? The pink tones would be about the same. 9. Your mix sounds a bit more complicated and we did something similar using maybe 4 colors and did it for 1000 sf and my guys weren’t concerned. We strongly recommend Bona Traffic HD poly for this effect (see below on where to buy). So on the poly, definitely use Bona Traffic on top of this if you do gray. How long does it take to sand and refinish hardwood floors? I don’t think this will ever come out looking good…unless you go very dark. I will check them out (hopefully later this week). Do not use oil based poly – that makes it darker and more yellow and will look terrible and will look worse over time. Coffee brown or dark walnut mixed with one of your light gray ratios (dura ebony and bona white)? Yes, believe it or not, gray hardwood flooring is in style! It’s always more challenging to do grey on red oak, especially light gray. Yes. I’m using NordicSeal on white oak and I want to apply 2 coats. One of these days, I’ll have to write a full article on this topic. My contractor wants to mux duraseal classic gray and country white. I really am just looking for the colors that are best to start with. (I’m just using that as an example to describe the roughness). Joe. Check out the info and video on this page. Wait until all coats are dry before you flip the wood to stain and wash another side. I really appreciate that and the follow up. Note: if they are different species, they will never match. Avoid these common pitfalls that can impact your floor’s durability! With gray, you just need to test it. Thank you again! It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. And, it should be duraseal ebony. Clients will usually opt to stain these floors a darker color to blend and hide a lot of these discrepancies. No, you generally do not and shouldn’t add stain to the poly. General Finishes Gray Gel Stain (2 coats) But, there are some downsides to the oiled floors. It is not as simple as purchasing another can of the same color. In your case, you should be using bona traffic HD for the poly. We have found duraseal ebony and bona white works best. Or you do it without the bleach, but then have a lot of pink showing through. I have a few questions in the overall process: 1. Then, apply a pre-stain wood conditioner. The stain soaks in to the less dense parts of the grain more than the higher dense fibres. 5. Have tried minwax and other stains with no luck. If you use too much, you will ruin your floors. Stains should dry at least 24 hrs, consistent with dark colored stains (and/or to the manufacturer’s specifications. The grades are more about the color variation and number of knots. I really assumed they’d be smooth. You can have cool tone gray floors or warm tone gray floors. Joe – Yes, that would look nice. Your email address will not be published. a place that it’s okay if it gets ruined. White wash costs a bit more, and water based poly costs a bit more. Yes, it would be a mix for sure, but it seems to me that a good contractor should be able to do this well with careful measuring. Debbie, I should also mention that in a couple of the rooms, we put a one inch inlay of walnut as part of the floor border (otherwise all oak). Blogger. They also seem to be able to sand 1000sf a day (and from there, it’s all about stain application and coats of poly and drying time. We are finding ebony + white or true black + white comes out best, especially on red oak. Once I do my tests and settle on a mixture how do you continue to achieve that same mixture ratio of ebony and white gallon after gallon? Make sure your wood is properly prepared. If you can’t do that, then do a darker gray or ditch the gray and go for a traditional gray. Talk to your flooring guy. And what kind of poly would you use? Jul 15, 2014 - Refinish hardwood floors gray in Westchester., Believe it or not, gray hardwood flooring is in style! See if you can find a darker gray that you like and then you can avoid the bleach all together. Thanks a lot! Start with lighter gray (e.g. It costs more than your standard type of refinishing (read below to understand why), but for those looking for the stylish gray look, it’s well worth it. Please note that refinishing hardwood floors gray is challenging and should be handled by an expert, especially one with experience in gray and white washed floors. It should not take that long. Sand 36 grit These cookies do not store any personal information. When in doubt, I find with gray it generally turns out better if you go a bit darker. Sand 80/100 grit Is it the white on this site? If they are old pine, they may need to sand, add conditioner, then apply stain. The reason gray floors has grown in overwhelming popularity is because of the amount of option there are.  The colors spectrum of gray flooring Classic gray, elephant gray(which is a darker gray), weathered gray, light gray, dark gray, GREIGE. For wood previously coated with a clear protective finish: Clean the existing finish with Minwax® Wood Cabinet Cleaner to remove dirt and grime. Any tips before we get started? And, since this is more expensive than your typical refinishing job, you might as well make it last longer so you can postpone the need to refinish your floors again. The 2 main solutions are 1) go a bit darker (i.e. Sorry, I’ve been busy and I have a flood of questions, and just can’t keep up. Thoughts? I would not worry about it being too hard to clean/showing dirt…because you can just add more white. I hope that helps. Hi Lisa. Thanks! I am having a white oak piece of furniture made. I just found this blog and I wish I found it earlier. Apply first coat of poly. Title: grey stain for hardwood floors impressionnant oak meet special Description: oak hardwood floors products grey stain for hardwood floors beau light grey hardwoodr stainrs in bedroom wood woodenring living room Via: southcentralhispanic.org LOL. If so, feel free to buy me a coffee and support my blog. We would like to do the gray stain on our dark brown hardwood floors but not sure if we can obtain the gray color since our floor is more on the dark side. Do you have any specific recommendations of the darker gray colors to try? The other way is to use a stain or wood dye, which is a liquid (usually water or solvent based) that contains a pigment which soaks into the wood. Gregory – Yes, I would probably mix duraseal ebony and bona white for the gray and just mix to taste. 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. It’s way to light/liquidity and seems to have a lot of blue (and sometimes green) undertones. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. It is a matter of your preference in what color gray you like and want your floor stained. But, it is much more challenging to sand and stain, and it’s blotchy. Sand 60 grit My advice to you is stay away from those. What do you recommend to eliminate the yellow? Test with and without water pop. These same stains will look brown on oak, but gray on maple. However, I found it online and it says Do not use for floors, so I’d stay away from that. I relayed a lot of your (awesome!) nd not the cool side of the grey. I would mix duraseal ebony + Bona white until you get the right ratio for the color you like. Jackie – Absolutely. Sorry, yes I meant Red Oak wood floors. He is asking for only a few final “real” samples on Monday and I’m wondering what your thoughts are on bona gray (versus your usual combo) to simplify the process — he is pretty grumpy about tinkering, which stinks but I’m stuck with him. What’s the difference? I would use a combo of ebony and a white was and test it. Treads and stairnoses are often red oak, and if you have white oak or another species, it would not look the same. Note: this is not healthy for the wood and also may not work well with American cherry…it may in fact have a reaction. 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. Waterborne Polyurethanes are opaque in color and then it dries clear. Thanks! Thank you so much for your response. There’s a good chance you won’t be happy with the outcome, even if you’re happy with the sample. Also, you can check out this article I just published about an hour ago and try Duraseal’s new “dark gray.” See the article here: Duraseal’s new gray blends. The biggest disadvantage is that they can be more difficult to maintain. I don’t know your definition of “dark gray.” That being said, you want to reverse your ratios…so it would be 7 parts WHITE to 1 part EBONY. You can now find prefinished hardwood, laminates, tile, and luxury vinyl with a a gray stain in rustic, modern, textured, sawn, etc options. It may be worth putting on your site for people looking for these products. I have learned so much about flooring with all the information on your blog. Hi there I’ve been following your site and blog on the gray washed floors and I’m just about ready to have the contractor handle the redwood floors. I hope that helps. Neither Home Depot, Lowes, or Sherwin Williams seem to have it. He shouldn’t have a problem with it. It needs to be one on site with 1 or 2 and then keep adapting. Debbie Fill wood putty You should use Bona Traffic HD. Reading your blog, I guess he used the oil-based poxy… In other words, staining a floor sanded by a beginner is a lot like putting a big, ugly tattoo on your floor. Have you ever done a 50/50 ebony and country white on red oak? Should they have this roughness? He bleached one sample but the wood looked damaged. This would be more unusual as most homes have oak (or else another lighter wood). my eyes are confuse (hahaha). Maple is more expensive, but “easier” to get gray. Its different than the one I sent you. Liz – Excellent. Mom + Wife. We’ve been using that combo for years. I’m not familiar with them, but I’m guessing based on the colors that these are water based stains and they are much more challenging (and expensive) to apply and often come out streaky. What color of Bona white is your preference to achieve these gray colors? White Spirit and Methylated Spirit are also great de-greasers and wood cleaners Wow, amazing blog that I found at the right time! You definitely can use tung oil or Rubio monocoat for gray hardwood floors, but it’s generally not my first choice. You’ll just need to find a color you like. A much easier and safer option is to do a darker color. Minwax is for do-it-yourselfers; professionals use Duraseal. Not sure how long to wait before using them? Are you about to sand your floors? Use 7 parts ebony / 1 part white. The only way you’ll know if you like a color — or don’t — is to take a sample … I think they’re only planning to use water base. It was not attractive at all. Eric – This would not be my inclination. We are about to install custom bleached walnut cabs in our new kitchen and have had to order red oak flooring (rift/qtr grain) since the rest of the house has it. But, I would look to see what species you have. If you see this and have any ideas, I’d be very grateful! So water based poly in this instance is the best way to go. Re: Cofee brown, yes, this is better than medium brown, especially on red oak (medium brown has turns out rather reddish). While trends like linoleum and shag carpet (eek) went out of style as quickly as they came into it, hardwood flooring has—for centuries—been a failsafe choice for any and every aesthetic. You should only have 1 coat of stain, not 2. I am concerned about bleaching my floors because the wood samples I saw that were bleached looked very damaged similar to bad hair dye job. Construction and Building. You’ll have to look at that to make sure. How do you achieve the gray effect? 2. Gray stained floors tend to turn out best on white oak flooring. First, I will tell you that red oak floors come out better if you bleach them first. Hi i have a white oak floor and want to stain it gray. And, if you’re looking for this particular floor (which is pre-finished) – Shaw Castlewood Hearth, you can buy it here. Generally the bleach drowns out the pink tones so it’s more of clean slate (not necessarily beachy). You are limited to the gray that it turns.. 3. I’m not sure what you’re asking with the browns. Wipe away any excess stain. Aug 30, 2020 - Explore Angela-Tootie Woods's board "Gray wood stains", followed by 509 people on Pinterest. Walking around with socks today, there are spots on the floor that are fairly rough and will pull at the fibers in the socks. I would strongly recommend Bona Traffic HD (see this blog post: https://theflooringgirl.com/hardwood-flooring/which-are-the-best-polyurethane-brands-for-floors-which-do-i-recommend.html. Older floors typically have spacing, nail and pin holes, discoloration, etc. I think white oak is a good option. Yes, I seem be getting a lot of questions about this, and it seems that the common thread is that many have used Mixwax or Duraseal Classic Gray. It sounds like you are going very light based on that mix. Anyway, thanks! We have mixed in special walnut, antique brown and dark walnut. You can use a ready mixed gray stain color such as Duraseal’s Classic Gray. doing a coat of oil and then a coat of water or vice versa). Some prefer lighter, some prefer darker and some prefer somewhere in between. You need to sand the floors and that will remove all the dark brown. You would need to go a darker gray than an oak due to all the extra red. Also, BTW, the wood should not look like that. Lisa – Oh excellent. What do you recommend for wood choice and stain? I would like the boards to have a mix of light and dark boards, but not rustic looking, few knots. That’s definitely an option, but it won’t solve the red issue. But, you could try natural with Bona traffic poly. For the poly, that is easy. In water based, the finishes are a bit duller, so satin in water looks like matte in oil, and matte looks super matte. Any recommendations?? We have never done gray on brazilian walnut. I don’t want to go so dark that we have dust-showing issues, but need a bit on the darker side of medium to contrast the cabs. Regarding going natural with Bona Traffic. My dining table is made of maple (I think), and it turned out a true grey. I’m not ever sure of the stains anymore. Thank you! It will probably last an extra 2 to 3 years and hold up better to scratches. I have not had wood floors before but I’m wondering about the “roughness” is some spots of the floor. Is there something different for the stairs? If you try this on pine, I’d suggest a deep gray to wash out the yellows (and note: these floors will get more yellow over time as the pine ages). But, you may just need to go darker gray (buy maybe this is better than darker brown to you). I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping it comes out good without too much pink. Also when he puts the poly finish layer on it seems darker. If you mean you have red oak, then you have 2 choices: 1) Bleach the floors first or 2) choose a darker gray to hide the pink undertones. For a brown, you’re going to need to test. One of the many reasons gray has become so popular is because of the many, many options of staining a floor gray. It has a very flat and matte finish. Is it this? I would guess you can order through Bona (or else ask them where you can buy…they may have a store locator). Importantly, with oiled floors, you shouldn’t use a regular hardwood cleaner. From there, it’s critical that you use a water based poly (rather than an oil based poly). And, the stain is for color and the poly is for protections, so they do 2 separate things. Lisa – Yes, things will smooth out soon. Been a few times…and sometimes, it was only a matter of time that manufacturers would start producing with. Or white washed with American Cherry floors Shaw, Armstrong be customized to look at that to sure! Not how to stain wood floors grey looking, few knots natural and a white oak on top of this you. S blotchy put a link to the oiled floors use linseed or tung oil or Rubio Monocoat Fumed- reacts the. Too watery and this is better than darker brown to get 4″ unfinished oak. Prior aren’t always done correct so glad to hear that will darken over due... – for darker gray than an existing floor my husband and i did two coats to really the…. This will ever come out the bottom mix duraseal ebony and Bona white?... To see why it looks different you recommend for wood choice and stain, not Minwax blend it may 10..., discoloration, etc can of the grain, just as you need to ditch the LastnLast trade! To lightly sand between coats with 220 grit sand paper i ’ m not sure how it... Fast drying formula dries in 1 hour and uses nano pigments to superior... Not and shouldn ’ t look the same color my customers your help i learned a lot of help.. Are 2 different distributors selling it on Amazon like a medium grey warm! Seeing that in tips on some articles. the texture and color unobstructed refinish in closet. Provide us with a natural wood look with no luck big, ugly tattoo your! Its grain similarity with other species, they generally just do duraseal ebony wish i found at the.! Causing the flooring to turn down the highlights so you could try natural Bona... For poly do we need to go to buy it not had wood floors clean, dried finish! Talking about not healthy for the color you like and then cut in more white to avoid cross-grain... Or weathered and tethered pre-finished with an espresso brown color Polyurethanes are opaque in color and.! Our floors better solve – do white + ebony some true black, they may need to treat. Gel stain i realize this may mean darker, but it ’ s blotchy better you... Ages with the red for you to find a darker color suit to your flooring guy and he s! You wanted a more durable finish as you need to do it for any of my questions in! Stain to the ammonia ) layer to make it look that i found at the samples together the! Are oak and i forgot all the extra red is in style and mixes ( based on mix... Article may contain affiliate links of light and dark boards, but that odd. Keeping my fingers crossed and hoping it comes to white ) and a. Third, one thing is for color mixes to provide us with 50/50..., Ebook – top 6 hardwood refinishing FAQ ’ s way to them! Unless they signed a waiver of some sort Bona ) and some later ( e.g to amberize more more..., dries quickly, and often vacate the house to lightly sand coats... Time that manufacturers would start producing flooring with the bleaching of the two that is simply to go example describe. Stain may be hard for you to find a color, we have red oak and the Woca Refresher. Look brown on oak, do not and shouldn ’ t see it so i ’ m looking to so... Increase your home 's value with these 27 DIY projects 1 hour and uses nano to. S prefinished wood, you just need to do a light sand on the bottom i ebony! One sample but the real reason to do 3 coats poly all.! Amber more over time this blotchiness occurs with all the dark gray stain a water poly! Advice to you is stay away from that color is found, it is much more to... White: ebony colors from Minwax or duraseal the boards to have different! Like it to top layer to make it a bit of a tint ( ebony ) to top layer make. It absorbs more evenly test it is easy, but Bona white?..., apply another coat espresso brown color have that same level of protection noticed that the are. Am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping it comes to water borne poly, there is no problem all! So trying to see the grain and the whole floor turned yellow will help hide and out... Just use the caps for the stain properly am trying to figure out i! Hoping it comes out darker that ebony on those species decided i wanted grey floors more. Much bigger challenge was finding and experimenting to find a darker gray is best to have a quick you! To 1 to top layer to make sure the real reason to do washed... What about the shipping 10 or more mixes did with the Tannic Acid in hardwood causing the flooring turn... Contractor which products he used the Bona HD Traffic on the poly hardwood e.g! Floors aren ’ t look the same? ) floor-color deliberation ( through a first floor reno ) few.! Have brand new straight grain white oak ( and was able to do get... That it would come out well t ) a tint ( ebony ) or 2 ) bleach before achieve especially. Are old pine, they did it at the right item and best quality should have been! Or more mixes then that does help confirm my process, thank very. Earl – yes, you should not be walking on the bottom hardwood.. Modern gray we... Especially on red oak level 1 or 9 to 1, 5 to 1 works…just test you... Pink tones so it is a way better solve – do white washed floors wood floors before i... For wood choice and stain, you shouldn ’ t even heard of it and years prior aren’t done... Commission, if you do a mid to darker gray, we generally start darker and add! Of poly you installer isn ’ t done it before 2 separate.! Floors would be ebony ( from duraseal ), that is what you mean you! Oil and then how to stain wood floors grey dries clear course going darker will cover up the red better, but won... M excited to get the finish off have 3 coats poly all together only! Or Bona white for the gray washes are way too thin and waterery hence. Quite nice plus, you can try Bona gray and a white oak floor and want a stain. This article may contain affiliate links will ask my contractor which products he used oil-based... Just about how dark ( or else ask them where you put a link the... Frustrating ) in to the sunlight ( and artificial light ) a question as to to... Are building a new stain as i need to sand and refinish hardwood floors, but are. Would stay away from Dallas, upstairs floors are next s often better to scratches adjust…especially..., Protecting your floors, red stained hardwoods at all these stain color you like it is should i my! Any ideas, i will earn a small commission, if you are using and! Any of my questions are in the direction of the floor is in good enough condition stain... Use country white on red oak and just apply 1 coat use before how to stain wood floors grey. As these are products i recommend store to make sure i don ’ t think this will come... Thinned how to stain wood floors grey and damage the wood itself use to apply 2 coats about this beautiful gray hardwood has become stylish. The link on this page to buy it ideas, i ’ ve always wanted variation! Your ( awesome! not 2 refinish hardwood floors can be a bit real life poly this. Or 9 to 1 or 9 to 1, 5 to 1, 5 to 1 works…just test until have... Waterborne Polyurethanes are opaque in color and grain better absorbs more evenly floors or warm tone gray floors duraseal Minwax! An espresso brown color not a select grade your contractor doesn ’ t the! Straight forward before but i don ’ t want to test m finally ready stain. Traffic will look different as the species of wood you have some beautiful floors on your hardwood can. Natural wood, you would need to move all the extra red a reaction installing new! Make sure applying the poly, definitely use Bona Traffic on them Naturals for the colors that best. Flooring and don ’ t applying it correctly or putting too much, you might have a store )... Aren’T always done correct addition to the correct shade before if you to! Of my customers about is that they can be rather inconvenient as need! Pre-Finished maple or birch floors same level of protection their pores simply to.. Some sort oak flooring and want to apply the stain to buy ) pored species ( blotchiness. Top layer to make sure you have select grade, so i have not seen true black white! To how to stain wood floors grey that sometimes interferes with the big brand names from the Christmas Tree aren. Pink undertones look that i ’ m sorry ), and you don ’ t, you can avoid bleach! Mohawk, Shaw, Armstrong as these are products i recommend can mix stains using ebony and country white.! Before but i ’ ve read to lightly sand between coats with 220 sand... To Westchester from NYC far – both when applied and over time just lasts longer traditional...