Gray wood

The clear finish on a hardwood floor is what keeps dirt and water out of the wood. When that finish wears all the way through, usually in a busy traffic lane or in front of a sink or a door, the bare wood is left open. Over time it soaks up dirt and moisture and turns a dull gray.

Gray wood is a sign the floor waited too long. A screen and recoat works by bonding a new coat to the old finish. Where there is no finish left, there is nothing to bond to, and coating over the gray spot would seal the stain in. It would still look gray.

So bare, gray spots are on the list of floors that need a full sand and refinish. Sanding takes off the stained wood so the floor can be coated fresh.

Learn to spot it at the estimate. A dull lane that still has finish on it is a good recoat. A lane where the wood looks raw, rough or gray is not. If you are not sure, take clear photos in good light. The flooring company FloorIt partners with can look at them and tell you the product and the steps.

This is also why recoating on time matters. A floor that gets a fresh coat before the finish wears thin never wears through to the wood in the first place.

Recoat, sand and refinish, or replace a worn hardwood floor? Prices per square foot, days of disruption, how much wood each uses up, and what the NWFA recommends.