Water Based Wood Stains

What are water based wood stains?

As well as providing a beautiful colour to the wood, a Wood Stain is designed to protect the surface from the elements, enhance the natural beauty and grain of the wood, and expand its lifespan.

Choosing the best wood stain for your project depends on the item you are working on and the type of finish you require.

In this guide, we will focus on water-based wood stains and their many benefits but first, we must highlight the other different types of wood stains that are available:

Types of Wood Stain

Oil-based wood stains often contain linseed oil. They are easy to apply and provide an even finish, deeper penetration and high durability. However, they do tend to have a slow drying time.

Solvent-based wood stains are fast drying, easy to apply and are fade resistant, making them perfect for areas that are exposed to direct sunlight. They do not raise the grain of the wood, making for a smoother finish.

Gel wood stains are highly viscous meaning they flow slower than the other types of stains. This property makes for easy application and no dripping. However, like oil-based stains, they are slow drying.

Lacquer wood stains easily penetrate the surface of the wood, can be applied very quickly and often contain a fast-drying varnish. However, varnishes are prone to bubbling, making for an imperfect finish.

Varnish wood stains are very similar to oil-based stains but provide a durable finish, protecting the wood from dirt and water. They are known to be more difficult to apply and can often yellow overtime.

Benefits of Water Based Wood Stains

Each of the types of wood stains mentioned give very good reason for their selection. However, water-based wood stains also offer many comparable and competitive benefits.

1. Environmentally Friendly - As the formula is water-based, they have a very low odour and are non-toxic making them safe to use in all environments, particularly for use on internal projects, such as wooden furniture.
2. Fast drying - Dry to a natural matt finish in only 10 minutes.
3. Excellent coverage - Highly concentrated and effectively colour wood in one simple application.
4. Even colour penetration - Evenly colour wood, ensuring equal and even colour penetration throughout.
5. Easy manipulation of colour - The longer you leave the excess on the surface to soak in, the deeper/richer the colour will appear. As the formula is water-based, water can also be added to the stain dilute the colour.
6. Mould Resistant - They are extremely resistant to mould and mildew.
7. Easy to apply - Once the wood has been thoroughly cleaned and any old finishes removed, the wood stain can be applied with a cloth, bristle brush, or for best results a Foam Brush. Apply liberally following the direction of the grain, leave it to soak in for a minute or two and then wipe any excess of using a Lint Free Cloth.
8. Suitable for all woods - Water-based wood stains can be on any type of old and new, indoor and outdoor wood.

Water Based Wood Stain Results

The below photos show an unfinished chair that we stained in Natural Oak, using our Wood Stain. It was then finished off using our Beeswax Polish to give it a polished shine and provide protection. 

As you can see, there are many benefits to using a water based wood stain that make it a popular choice for our experts and customers. Although, other types of wood stains have the added benefit of containing a finish, we have many oils and waxes available on our website that can be applied over a water based wood stain, providing an excellent finish.

For product information staining wood, take a look at our Wood Stain.