You can see how the stain is currently blotchy due to Maple being a closed grain wood. The new stain would be similarly blotchy. Applying a coat of water and letting it dry before staining will make it more uniform but you might need to alter the stain a bit since it will soak in more color overall. Silvered Gray is a Duraseal stain which is good quality. Follow it with a high quality non-yellowing urethane like Bona Traffic HD.

Maple is extremely difficult to stain. This is obviously not a DIY project (since you mentioned a GC). This is probably not a GC project. It will require an experienced floor refinishing professional.

I am not a fan of gray wood.. Got over that about 3 years ago

However, the picture of silvered gray on Duraseal's website (pasted below) looks different from your inspiration picture, and doesn't seem that gray to me. So you will want to see a sample in your space with your lighting the way it is going to be. That's the only way you will know if you like it or not. Silvered Gray is so subtle I might consider no stain at all. No stain = no blotchiness = no worries. You will still have to deal with maple's ability to change color over time....

Yes! We are working with a flooring company. The thing is that the flooring company almost exclusively installs new flooring in massive high-end high rises and I’m worried about their expertise when it comes to refinishing.

Perhaps you need a different flooring company?? Different companies specialize in different things.

Think of it like doctors: you don't go to the cardiologist when you need the orthopedist. Don't use the new flooring specialist when you need the refinishing specialist.

If you want to stay away from maple's tendency to yellow when exposed to light (it is the wood that changes...not just the finish) you can work with Loba 2K Supra AT (super tough finish) and use Loba's UVProtect that is SPECIFICALLY designed to stop MAPLE from turning YELLOW in sunlight (or any light).

Will a flooring company that works mainly with prefinished floors know how to do this? Probably not. You must specify (in the contract) that ONLY a REFINISHING professional will be working on your floors (not some 'guy' who knows how to work a nail gun). And that you need to specify your finish request (ie. using a UV protectant that specifically stops maple from yellowing).

Or you could simply find an NWFA Certified Flooring Refinisher and relax. Ask them to use Loba UV Protect and a Loba 'clear' coat finish (I prefer the 2K Supra AT because of the durability and the FEEL underfoot).

Of course, the more specific you get in the contract, the more the project will cost you. And yes light gray is tough on maple. Maple does MUCH better with DARKER stains (can't see blotches if the colour is so dark you can't tell what wood is underneath). Lighter stains can work. There are some refinishers who can get maple to work with a MIDTONE stain. A LIGHT GRAY (ie. almost lighter than the wood itself) is going to be tough.

Just be prepared to pay 1.5 times MORE than an average wood flooring refinish (average cost = $5/sf). So long as you are willing to pay for the TOP professionals (NWFA Certified Flooring Professional) and the top products on the market (Loba 2K Supra AT = $190/gallon) then you should be fine.

www.nwfa.org use the link to find your nearest professional.

You should research Bona Nordic Seal. I am facing the same maple floor refinishing dilemma. The floors have yellowed after 20 yrs and I am worried about about getting a blotchy effect from staining. I am looking for an updated look and have been researching this product.

https://www.peteshardwoodfloors.com/polyurethane-floor-finishes/bona-waterborne-polyurethanes/bona-nordicseal.html

@camillelu, what did you end up using? We have 20 yr maple floors too and looking to use Bona Natural sealer with Traffic HD finish.

Please share the pics and details, if possible. Thanks

Hi Sofia! Unfortunately, I ’m not going to be able to impart much wisdom here because we ended up replacing the floors with oak. Good luck!

No problem. Thank you for responding.

You could always ask them to try the Bona Nordic on a sample area.

@Susan, thank you for responding. Do you have oak or maple floors?

We decided on #2 which is Bona Natural. That’s the satin sheen which as you mentioned is too matte for our liking. Did you go with semi gloss?

Can you share the sealing and finishing part in terms of no of days. Was all done in 1 day? We r getting 1 coat sealer & 3 coats of finish.

After the final coat, how many hours before you guys went in the house?

Thank

you again.

Answered on the other post.