By Mark J. Donovan
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When it comes to staining wood
there is one task you need to do first. That is, determine if it is a soft
wood or a hard wood that you want to stain. Examples of soft wood are Pine
and Cedar, and examples of hardwood are Oak or Maple.
If you are not sure what type of
wood you have, then look to see if the wood has an uneven grain or is
blotchy appearance. If it does, chances are it is a soft wood. If it does
not then chances are it is a hardwood.
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Softwood will stain unevenly if
stain is directly applied to it. If you want a more even stain look on soft
wood then you will first want to apply a pre-stain conditioner on the wood
before applying the stain.
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Photo By Mark Donovan |
With hardwood you can apply the stain
to the wood without first having to add a pre-stain conditioner, however more
applications of stain will be required as the stain does not absorb as well into
hardwood.
Once you have completed the
sanding of the wood, make sure the wood is thoroughly wiped down and free
from any grease, dirt and sawdust.
Staining Wood
For the actual wood staining, it
is preferable to wear some plastic gloves, as stain tends to be difficult to
get off your hands.
You can use either a rag, brush
or sponge for applying the wood stain, however I have found the sponge brush
works best.
Apply the stain liberally to the
wood and apply it in long fluid movements along the grain of the wood.
Let the stain sit on the wood for
5 to 10 minutes, then remove it with a cloth rag. Note that the longer the
stain sits on the wood the more time it will have to soak in and thus
produce a darker finish.
After you have wiped off the
excess stain, let the wood rest for approximately 4-8 hours, depending upon
the humidity level and ambient temperatures. This will allow the stain time
to fully dry.
Also, when cutting the wood, have
your stain handy to touch up the cut edges prior to installing the wood.
Applying a
Polyurethane Sealer over the Stained Wood
To protect the stain finish, you
can apply a sealer such as polyurethane over the stained wood. Polyurethane
comes in high gloss, semi-gloss and satin finishes and can be either brushed
or sprayed onto the stained wood.
It is best to apply two to three
coats of polyurethane over the stained wood. Between each coat let the
polyurethane thoroughly dry and lightly sand with very fine steel wool. The
steel wool will help to create a really smooth finish.
