Wood Staining 101

Wood is a very versatile building material used in thousands of different applications throughout homes. Your home’s frame, doorways, furniture, cabinets, floors, trim, and even windowsills may all facilitate wood. Wood is excellent because it can be very durable, adds an authentic and aesthetic feel to the atmosphere, and can be refinished. Whether you are refinishing your hardwood floors, staining your cabinets, or sprucing up your deck, a stain is a great way to get back that beautiful look of your wood.

Stain penetrates deep into the wood and dyes it without covering up the grain and veining in the material, and it can be done by anyone and is great for DIY homeowners. If you are looking to tackle a staining project, here is everything you need to know!

Materials

• Sandpaper/ Sander 
• Stain 
• Drop Cloth 
• Gloves 
• Lint-Free Rags 
• Stir Stick 
• Paint Brush 

Sanding 

To begin the staining process, you will want to roughen up the surface of the wood and remove any existing blemishes or gouges. The lower your sandpaper grade, the coarser the grit. Start with a low grit to begin. Make sure to go with the grain! Going against the grain will make unwanted scratches in your wood. After you sand, remove all the dust and clean your wood. You can use a tack cloth to help clean your wood and remove dust. 

Staining 

Next, stir your stain using your stir stick. Put on your gloves and soak your lint-free rag. Soak your wood with your stain. Unlike paint, you are not waiting for the stain to dry completely. Allow the stain to absorb into the wood for 3-5 minutes. Some stains may take longer to absorb. In larger wood staining projects, do smaller areas at a time. Use a free rag to wipe away the access stain. Make sure that you apply an even coat throughout all the wood. It is essential to allow each area to dry for the same time to ensure the same quality stain throughout your project. You may also want to note that different woods will absorb stains differently! 

This means if you stain your maple hardwood floors and your oak cabinets, they will not necessarily turn out the same shade or color.
Staining can be messy. For some projects, it is best to do it outside and put down a drop cloth. Put on clothing that you do not mind if they get ruined. Remember that stain can be extremely hard to remove and should be handled with care.