The beauty of wood is magnificent while it is in its natural state, but it doesn’t balance with the color of other wooden furniture in our home. So to match the color, we often use stain to a stripped or bare wood and its interior parts can also be highlighted.
What exactly are wood stains, one might wonder?
What is the difference between stains and paint?
Paints are a bit thick in nature than stains. Stains last longer than paints as stains block the pores in the woods and stop moisture from getting into the wood and thus preventing it from swelling.
Wood stains are colorants that are suspended or dissolved in a solvent. In most stains dyes or pigments are used as colorants, the difference between them is size and solubility of the particles. You don’t need to be a professional to stain your wood with a little practice you can do this work on your own.
Tips That’ll Come In Handy
Here are few tips which we are providing you on staining of woods.
- Before staining your wood first mark an ordinary spot on the wood and stain the wood. It just for testing. This is necessary because as wood is nature’s product, and different trees have different quality and color of the wood. So after staining the part, you will be ensured about getting a desirable color.
- Before you start staining try to apply a thin layer of wood conditioner on the wood first. After 15 minutes you can start staining. This will help in avoiding imperfections and gives a smooth touch while working.
- Some of the common stains which are oil based consists of dyes and pigments along mineral spirits mixed in it. To get the best color out from the stain try to stir the can carefully, so the dyes and pigments come up from the bottom. Avoid working in a closed room with the oil-based stains as it contains fumes, so a well-ventilated area is much better and safe.
- Surfaces of all woods are not same as it differs from tree to tree, so you can apply stain on it either with a rag or a bus, depends on the likes. You can work either against or along the grain with your staining brush. It will always be a little messy while working, so don’t think much about being clean. A pleasant, smooth and generous coat on your wood is the main motive. If you want a coating of light tone over your wood, then you must wipe the stain off instantly. However, if you desire for a coating of deeper tone on your wood then leave the stain for a minimum time of ten minutes and then wipe it off.
- While working some excess stains may obviously go towards the direction in which the grain of the wood is, so be sure you wipe it off carefully. So by doing this, you will become sure that the stain doesn’t lay on the top instead it gets into the wood. This displays the advantage of the grain of the wood.
- Oil-based stains have fumes in it, so you can opt for water-based stain to avoid fumes. Water-based stains can be found in different colors and have more variety than the oil-based. There is no different process in applying the water-based stain; it is as same as the oil-based
- If you are not satisfied with the color tone of your stain, you can apply an extra layer of coat over it.
- Always keep in mind that after applying stain the work is not finished at all, it gives you color only not a smooth finish. So do not forget to apply a finish on the top of the wood. However, if you are running out of time then try to buy a product of stain which has a combination of both stains and finish. To stain your wood with this type of product, you must use a higher quality brush and have to be very careful while staining.
- If you want to modify the color of your stain, then you can mix two stains, but it should be kept in mind that both the stains are of the same type or made and manufactured by the same You cannot mix, and oil-based stain with a water based stain as oil and water do not mix which will bring you an undesirable result.
- An oil-based stain can be created with a water-based finish, provided you have to wait for a minimum of 24 hours after staining.
