One of the biggest trends in hardwood flooring over the past few years has been gray stained floors. Gray floors have all the designers raving and it is a trend that seems to fit nearly any home design. Gray floors can be modern and crisp or weathered and textured. While this started as a trend it seems to have become a staple look for hardwood flooring and will likely be here to stay.
Gray floors are really popular because their are so many options for the color and look of gray flooring. Mixing a custom gray stain with the right amount of black allows the designer to create a custom fit for the home. Gray can be warm and cool and can really match the feel of the house. Gray is a lot more versatile with home design compared to other stain colors.
While gray stain is popular is not something that can be done on any floor. First- not all floors can be stained gray. Some hardwood species can be stained while others cannot. Exotic woods are expensive and staining them gray can hide the natural beauty that you paid good money for. Oak is a great option for staining and white oak is generally preferred to red oak. Red oak tends to get a pinkish tone to it when stained gray.
If you have red oak floors you may have some options to stain them gray. Bleaching the floor is one option. Using a fumed stain can help to mute the red tones. Also, a dark gray can hide the red tones effectively.
Staining a new floor will yield the best results over staining a pre-existing floor gray. Older floors tend to have some gaping, discoloration and other issues that can affect the consistency of the stain. Repaired areas with new boards can show more when stained because of how the new wood accepts the stain.
A freshly installed floor can be a great option for gray stain. The new floor will not have any areas that still contain small amounts of finish which will affect how the stain is taken by the wood.
While it is best to stain a new floor you can still stain an existing floor gray. When staining an existing floor it is important to know that the results may not be as consistent. Also a darker color gray is often advised to help hide markings, gaps and repairs.
The color ranges of gray flooring are one of the reasons people love them so much. You can have a classic gray, elephant or darker gray, weather, greige or a variety of other gray colors. Many gray stains are blended to make the ideal color for the home.
Water based finishes are ideal for gray floors. Water based products are less likely to amber overtime like an oil based finish. The ambering can affect the color of the stain and overall coloring of your floor.
Gray flooring can be the perfect look for your home. Gray wood is here to stay and we love seeing this trend become a staple for hardwood flooring & hardwood floor refinishing.
