It’s perfect if you’re staining your floors gray, or white, or just going for a natural super clean look. It has a straight, tight grain that is quite textured. You may want to look around for a contractor who is more confident in this arena and has more experience with grays and mixes. Exterior Wood Stain Concentrate For Fence, Shed, Decking And More - Makes 5 Litres - 17 Beautiful Colours (Slate Grey) 4.5 out of 5 stars 137 £17.95 £ 17 . Please help ..looks like maybe left stain without wiping. $14.46 Oak (Carbon Grey … My client has American Cherry floors and she would like a gray white washed floor. It’s not the best for wood, especially if it’s not applied properly. Fast drying formula dries in 1 hour and uses nano pigments to offer superior color and coverage. I’ve read to lightly sand between coats with 220 grit sand paper. I had a question as to how to proceed. The minwax and duraseal whites are just too thin and liquidy…so pink shows through more. No, I don’t have any pictures. These new stains are more charming, more contemporary and have more pigment than the gray, whitewash and weathered oak stains. Do you think we could get away with duraseal medium-brown and then add the gray ratios you laid out? Treads and stairnoses are often red oak, and if you have white oak or another species, it would not look the same. I think most of them are using Classic Gray and other premixed colors from Minwax or Duraseal. It looks different on each floor and more often we have been doing on select grade, so it will look different. It is on the lighter side. Tara – For darker gray, we generally just do Duraseal ebony + bona white…we just use less white. The floors turned out better then i anticipated. Is there something different for the stairs? As I mentioned it’s iffy…not sure how well the bleach will drown out the red. So on the poly, definitely use Bona Traffic on top of this if you do gray. I always love your informative articles Debbie. 2. Pls see my other comment. But, I would try to go to a flooring store to make sure you have the right item and best quality. Thank you so much for your site and blog. If you can’t do that, then do a darker gray or ditch the gray and go for a traditional gray. Then, we’ve added a bit of a tint (ebony) to top layer to make it a bit darker. As a homeowner, you can do the repair yourself, and you don’t need to sand and refinish. for pricing and availability. I asked my contractor for a sample of bona white and duraseal ebony. You may find 7 to 1 or 9 to 1 or 11 to 1 works…just test until you like the color. A lot of gray and brown, super cool. 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. If you like the darkness of Dark Walnut, but wanted gray undertones, would you mix/blend ebony, white, and a dark walnut? I mixed ebony and white…and no matter what i do all the samples have a blue tint. Fast drying formula dries in 1 hour and uses nano pigments to offer superior color and coverage. what are your thoughts? Be careful w/ the poly you use. To fix your issues, you need to change the stains. WAIT! $84.58 AAA Quartersawn Oak (White) Veneer Lot 7.25" x 100" Sheets per Lot: 6 Grade: Square Foot Per Lot: 30.21 Lots in Stock: 1. The gray washes are way too thin and waterery and hence the yellow from the white oak is coming through. You’ll need to see which you prefer for the color you’re hoping for. In your case, you should be using bona traffic HD for the poly. He showed me some samples but i was not crazy. 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. 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). The wood types we chose also are vastly different, ranging from extremely soft (birch) to hard (red oak) with undertones all over the map. With gray, you just need to test it. Sand 36 grit Apply final coat. We usually use country white (but there are other whites that can work). I can’t stand the pink. Then buff, then 3rd coat poly. Joe – Yes, that would look nice. I’ve done a ton of research but was more or so a month ago and I forgot all the small details. If you do bleach (and I do NOT recommend you bleach), then yes, you’d need to carefully tape off the walnut. The highest grit you should use before the stain is 100. But, you could try natural with Bona traffic poly. Hi Lisa. I suppose it’s possible and it would be darker gray. I haven’t researched this yet. 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. 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. It’s often better to add an extra coat of water based poly, too for a more durable finish. I used two coats to really enhance the… Also, find out what the “real” issue is. I’m not ever sure of the stains anymore. We did a gray mix on around 3000 sf and didn’t have an issue (as well as others that were 1000-2000 sf. Eastern Maple will be the hardest wood we offer. they both look very nice. If you are mixing other premade whites (e.g. The other issue you may be having is the ingredients being used. If we do go with the bleaching of the oak, do we need to be careful not to bleach the walnut? When in doubt, I find with gray it generally turns out better if you go a bit darker. Apply first coat of poly. Tintable in a wide array of colors for ultimate design flexibility and color matching - please visit your neighborhood … Choose what you like regardless. You need to speak to your flooring guy (before poly is applied) to see why it looks different. Unlike polyurethane, the oils penetrate into the wood. It needs to be one on site with 1 or 2 and then keep adapting. If they are old pine, they may need to sand, add conditioner, then apply stain. I am in the process of refinishing and staining my Brazilian walnut floors. I built my own wood floor out of douglas fir 1×6 and wanted to stain it grey . Thanks! One last question (I’m sorry), I’m having difficulty finding oil based white wash. Thanks for your instructions. then, do 3 coats Bona Traffic HD for poly. But we want it to look like natural wood, not thick or coated. Comparison of Carbon Gray and Ash Gray Gel Stain vs. Graystone and Graphite Water Based Wood Stain Vs. Driftwood Milk Paint Red oak has underlying red tones, and often a darker gray is needed to achieve the desired look. Hi, I am installing brand new hardwood flooring and don’t know where to go to buy it. Eastern Pine will be the most cost effective material option we offer. It’s not my first choice. We can however add a tint to the furniture if you would like a more even finsih. I think the white stain may be water based (I’ll need to check). I realize this may mean darker, but curious your thoughts. It just lasts longer than traditional Bona and other water based polyurethanes. These products are still rather niche, but they are growing in popularity for their natural and unique look, as well as low VOCs and importantly the ability to spot treat scratches and mishaps. 3. then Bona Traffic 1 coat. i want to thank you for your blog . and, it will cost you more. Oh hi Matt. But, I think it’s very risky on Cherry, especially as the cherries (both American and Brazilian) are more oily, so I would expect problems. Is it possible to mix the Ebony with the Classic Grey to get a draker grey? I have not had wood floors before but I’m wondering about the “roughness” is some spots of the floor. If you do a traditional brown stain, you can either use oil based or water borne poly. I relayed a lot of your (awesome!) felt pads, doggie socks, Ebook – What to look for when buying a home with hardwood. We are going to waterpop it. Often, my guys take one of those large plastic milk containers and cut the top off. Should I buff between the coats? I have a quick question…Do you use BONA DriFast Naturals for the White and for the Ebony is it DuraSeal QuickCoat or Penetrating Finish? Sku #: 1001547640. I wanted a grayish brown finish, so I think Ash Gray is … This doesn’t sound right to me since the oil would still be on the stairs and would still eventually turn yellow… Whats the solution to already ruined gray wood? And, will need to mix the recipes on site and adjust…especially with red oak. There are pros and cons with using tung oil (or similar products). 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? We don’t want to go back to a brown because we’re trying to update and we just painted our oak cabinets. Over time, the oil ages with the wood and the patina grows stronger. 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. Hello Debbie. It was not a premix, they did it at the store. Thank you again! I think white oak is a good option. 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. If the wood is unfinished it would probably be from the US. And, especially when it comes to white and grays, minwax stains are inferior. If you were to try it, would bleach it first (which is not so good for the wood and may not come out evenly due to the oily resins) and then stain with a mix of Duraseal ebony and Bona White. Most oiled floors use linseed or tung oil, or a combo of the two. Dani – My guy just uses “white.” I have a hunch they’ve introduced some variations now, so you can give those a try. 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. It’s always more challenging to do grey on red oak, especially light gray. Minwax is for do-it-yourselfers; professionals use Duraseal. Dave – I was going to ask you if that was a new stain as I had never heard of it. Generally the bleach drowns out the pink tones so it’s more of clean slate (not necessarily beachy). Dave – You have to combine the mix in a different can. And, so glad it’s turned out so well. It’s better to get the stain to the correct shade before if you can. I really appreciate your input! Carbon Grey Dyed Oak Wood Veneer. Gray stained floors tend to turn out best on white oak flooring. You can view our "Dublin" Corner Desk for images of Cherry with a Dark Walnut stain. This will have an impact on how the grain looks and it’s hard to predict which way you’ll prefer until you see it. I hope this makes sense. I have brand new straight grain white oak floors and am going for a relatively light grey floor. My husband and I are currently in the middle of remodeling our downstairs. Any thoughts? I would like the boards to have a mix of light and dark boards, but not rustic looking, few knots. We offer a vast line up of solid wood options for your custom furniture. Maple is more expensive, but “easier” to get gray. You can see images of White Oak in both of those finish options on our "Hampton" Dining Table. see this article on why duraseal over minwax and where to get it: https://theflooringgirl.com/hardwood-flooring/minwax-vs-duraseal-stain-better-hardwood-floors.html. This is probably more important than the actual stain color you use. Claudia – It depends what you mean by dark brown hardwood floors. Hi ! 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. I have been looking at all these stain color for the past weeks. I am looking to get 4″ unfinished white oak select. Thank you for your blog post. This high-performance stain features nano pigments, which intensify color clarity and highlight wood … The colors shown are for reference purposes only. Model #: 300389. Please note that these are products I know/use and recommend to my customers. 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). 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. Note I would recommend using Pre-Stain wood conditioner before staining any Poplar wood. Yes, believe it or not, gray hardwood flooring is in style! This will closely resemble the look of Black Walnut, however you will not have all the same variations in colour and tones that this wood offers. That will get me a dark gray? It will probably last an extra 2 to 3 years and hold up better to scratches. Hi Liz. I’m having my brand new red oak floor stain in a few days. If your budget does not allow for Black Walnut, we would recommend Western Maple with our Special Walnut stain. Do I need to order it from their website as I can’t find anyone that has it. We’ve done this a few times…and sometimes, it may take 10 or more mixes. Nick – thanks so much. This Classic Gray stain creates the perfect weathered look without over-saturating with too much gray. Carbon Gray Premium Fast Dry Interior Wood Stain (2-Pack) provides high quality color in 1 coat to enhance the natural beauty of interior wood surfaces. But, it might work if the person wants to go very dark gray. So, now that this trend has caught on, we have many homeowners who want to refinish their existing hardwood floors (which are usually oak) to have a similar look). Its different than the one I sent you. Thoughts? HI Flooring Girl, I so glad to stumble on your blog. Thank you so much for your response. Is it really going to make it look that much nicer? https://www.bona.com/en-US/Bona-Professional/Products/Coatings/Stains/Bona-DriFast-Stain/. The grades are more about the color variation and number of knots. Also, I would like my finish to have cool toned undertones, nothing warm or red and I don’t want it to be dark. Gregory – Yes, I would probably mix duraseal ebony and bona white for the gray and just mix to taste. No wood conditioner or pre-stain … We will test the gray colors on your hardwood floors. Any advice, please. How to combine stains to create greige on oak floors. When it comes to water borne poly, there is no dispute, Bona Traffic HD is the best in the market place. Model #710980000. You will have a much easier time (and probably happier client) if you just do a dark stain…or a dark stain with a hint of gray. A light gray stain will give your cabinets character, is unexpected and allows you to … 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. I guess most of my questions are in the buffing/screening process. That does help confirm my process, thank you. He went the route of 2x coats of white followed by 1x coat of grey staining which turned out beautifully! After he sanded and stained and did one top coat, the color is all over the place with grays, yellows and browns (based on the variations in the wood). That’s definitely an option, but it won’t solve the red issue. My floor guy mix duraseal ebony and country white 50/50. 56. I’m not sure what you’re asking with the browns. Wait how long to dry before 2nd coat? Since this wood is very light in nature, it takes any of our stain colours very well! Eastern Pine will come with lots of knots in the wood, so if you prefer a knot-free option you may consider upgrading to Oak… I used Minwax Charcoal Gray and covered a small area. It costs more than Bona Mega, but it’s worth it as it looks better, lasts longer and amberizes less. 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 am certain they are not a select grade. What do you recommend for wood choice and stain? Do I do a light sand on the stain before my first coat of poly? 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. They have sanded and stained one day, and now have put on 2 coats of water based poly. Bona Nordic Seal. What’s the difference? Tara – It’s very challenging to stain any of the exotics gray, due to the nature of the color, color variation and oils in these woods. What tbar tools or applicator pads are recommended? If you are getting prefinished oak and it’s solid, chances are it’s from the US (as that’s where it’s grown and it wouldn’t make much sense to get from China. You need to periodically treat the floors with more oil. Higher end homeowners in Westchester keep requesting gray hardwood floors. ft. per quart. If you have pets that may get the floors wet (from going in/out when it rains, water dishes or accidents), you may want to avoid this option. One of these days, I’ll have to write a full article on this topic. OK, so I have white oak and want a dark gray stain. But, if you’re asking can you do those browns with white, I suppose you could, but it won’t be gray…it will be more of a beige. Wait at least 4-5 hrs (each coat takes a bit longer to dry). Easy to use wood finish covers up to 275 sq. 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