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Going Gray
My customer wants a gray floor, but I've never done one. Do you have any tips?
Joe Rocco, owner at Artistic Floors by Design Inc. in Parker, Colo., and an NWFA Regional Instructor, answers:
Gray floors have become one of the latest flooring trends to challenge hardwood flooring professionals. The challenge starts at product selection. Appropriately sized samples (3-foot square) provide an accurate view of the color variation from board to board. Additionally, if the client is looking for a monochromatic gray, utilize products that have a tight grain pattern and minimal natural color variation. The natural color of each species provides a foundation for hue (red oaks are going to be warmer gray floors, and white oak will be cooler).
Gray floors are as difficult as the whitewash (pickled) floors of the '80s. The sand job must be immaculate. I recommend a four-paper cut for big machining, starting with 40-grit and working through 120-grit. Edging should consist of two papers with an additional dress-up using a random orbital sander. Follow this with a thorough buffing, then vacuum and water-pop (be extremely careful to not damage the raised grain after the water-pop has dried).
Stain or other colorant application should be consistent and applied in strips to avoid any cross-grain color-variant lines. The colorant should be allowed to dry to the manufacturer's recommendations, then add a day or so, just like you would for a black or dark red color.
The type of finish used will have an effect on the gray colorant. This should be explained to the client and thoroughly investigated through sample production before the job commences. Remember that you will be looking through a lens (the finish) at the color. Oil-based finishes will tend to have a yellow or amber tint, and water-based finishes will have a whitish tint.
Staining Brazilian Cherry?
My customer wants the color of walnut but hates the walnut grain. Somebody suggested I stain Brazilian cherry to get that color with a clearer grain. Will that work?
Michael Dittmer, owner at Michael Dittmer Wood Floors in Putnam, Ill., and a National Wood Flooring Association Regional Instructor, answers:
Yes, when my customers want a certain stain color but don't like the grain of easy-to-stain woods like oak, I often stain Brazilian cherry. It has the clear grain they are looking for, and it's easier to stain than maple. If you go that route, just make sure customers understand that they'll never have an option to have a light-colored floor (as light as oak or maple) in the future. I'll show them what the natural Brazilian cherry looks like and tell them: "Remember, if you get sick of your stain color in 10 to 12 years, you're stuck with this reddish color!" You can't resand it and stain it nutmeg in 10 years like you can with an oak floor.
There are many ways to sand and stain, but I can tell you what our process is for Brazilian cherry and a couple things to watch out for. When sanding, make sure you get all the scratches out. We'll sand to a 100- or 120-grit with a multi-disc sander and then use a screen with the multi-disc sander until we don't see any scratches.
Then we take a moisture content reading of the wood floor so we have a baseline before we water-pop the floor. To water-pop, we used to use a nylon mop to apply the water, but we've found that a backpack sprayer (like you buy at an agricultural supply store) is quicker and more efficient. We apply just enough water so that the floor looks wet-no puddles-and usually put some air movers down to help the floor dry once we're done.
Before we stain the floor, we make sure the moisture content has returned to the same levels: If it was 6% MC before water-popping, we wait until it reads 6% again. Then we'll stain it, and, to be safe (since we're working with an exotic), we wait twice the recommended dry time before we apply finish over the stain.
Stain Samples?
I have problems with customers not liking the stain color they picked out once I do the whole floor. What can I do?
Rusty Swindoll, technical services manager at the National Wood Flooring Association, answers:
That's a tricky question, but I can tell you what worked for me in my contracting business. Once customers picked out the color they thought they liked from the sample boards, I would sand the whole floor until it was right before the final sanding. Then I would sand an area about 2 by 2 feet and put the stain color down, making sure to apply the stain in an area where they could see the lighting well-not in a dark corner or behind a countertop. Also, if the floor had knots and other character, I was sure to stain an area with those marks.Once the stain was down, I let it dry and put down a coat of sealer so they could get an idea of what it would really look like with finish on it. Otherwise the stain color would look lighter than it would be later. Once they agreed on the color with the finish, I had them sign off on it.
Let your customers know well ahead of time that once you start applying the stain, that's it. I would tell them: This whole floor is not a sample board! Make sure they know that once you get through staining and finishing, you expect a check. If they change their mind about the stain color after the fact, it's going to cost them to resand the floor all over again.