Whether the surface of your table top has worn, the colour of your garden shed and decking has faded or you’re simply looking to change the colour of a wooden piece of furniture, a wood stain may be what you’re looking for. In this article we'll show you how to stain wood.
As well as providing a beautiful colour to the wood, a Wood Stain will protect the surface from the elements, preserve its natural appearance and expand its lifespan. For outdoor wood, use our Exterior Wood Stain.
When using a paint to colour wood, you risk hiding the natural grain. However, a wood stain is designed to completely soak into the wood, dye it to your chosen colour. and bring out the beauty of the natural grain in the timber.
You can use wood stain on any wood, providing it has been thoroughly cleaned, and any old finishes have been removed. This will allow the stain to absorb into the wood, ensuring equal and even colour penetration throughout.
New Wood needs to be sanded first to create a lovely smooth finish. This process will help even out the surface creating a lovely smooth finish for the stain to absorb into.
If the wood is old it may be painted or varnished. If so, remove any old coatings using a paint and varnish remover. Or, if the wood has been treated with an oil or wax, wipe the surface down with mineral spirit to remove this. After removing the old finish, sand smooth.
For pine and softwoods, once you have prepared the surface as above you should apply a Pre-Stain Conditioner. This is because softwoods absorb wood stains in an uneven fashion and could come out blotchy once stained. In all instances, ensure the surface is clean and any saw dust and dirt has been removed.
Apply the Wood Stain with a Foam Brush or lint-free cloth (You can also use a regular bristle brush). Wait for it to soak into the wood and then simply wipe off any excess with a clean cloth. The longer you leave the stain to soak in before wiping any excess, the darker the colour will be. Multiple coats can also be applied to achieve a darker colour.
Once you have stained the wood you should finish it for best results. A wood finish will provide additional protection to the wood and really enhance the colour of the wood stain. We have a range of products you can use after staining the wood;
We highly recommend finishing the wood after staining it. Not only is it important for protection, but as mentioned above the finish will really enhance the depth of colour.
Our Wood Stain is highly concentrated and effectively colours wood in one simple application. The formulation is water based and so is safe to use in all environments, as it has a very low odour and is non-toxic. It is available in 9 different colours and are available in small tester pots so you can test the colour before fully restoring the wood to make sure you are happy with it. For larger outdoor projects, you may also be interested in our Shed & Fence Stain.
Wood Stains are an easy to use option to colour any type of indoor and outdoor wood and can be applied to all kinds of wooden items to give your project a professional finish.
We also have a specialist Exterior Wood Stain, so if you're interested in staining wood furniture used outdoors, check out our blog - How to use exterior wood stain
If you have any questions regarding staining wood or about our products, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
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