How To Stain Wood Furniture: 5 Easy Steps
Many furniture experts are against staining of wood furniture because it hides the real color of the wooden piece of art. However, staining does have an upside as it enhances the look of the furniture. Even a cheap-looking piece can appear like an expensive set if it is properly stained with a complimentary color. It is easy to stain wood furniture using the five steps below:
Remove
Get rid of the old finish, stain, paint, and other imperfections on the wood furniture. You will need a special liquid solution for this step. This solution can be bought from woodcraft stores. Apply the solution and wait for some hours before scraping off the old finish and paint with a dull knife. If there are holes, fill them up with wood putty. Allow the putty to dry while you clean up the debris from scraped off materials.
Sand
Use rougher sandpaper if you want smoother finish, which is ideal for wood furniture. To avoid ugly scratches on the surface, follow the directions of the grains when sanding. Finish sanding with finer sandpaper for a smoother finish.
Brush off the sanding dusts and then wipe the furniture with damp cloth. It is important to completely remove the sanding dusts to ensure flawless staining. Dampen a clean cloth with water if you will be using water-based stain and dampen it with mineral spirit if you will be using oil-based stain. Wipe the furniture two times with dry cloth to make sure that all sanding dusts are removed.
Condition
Doing this is not always necessary but it will help in highlighting the pattern of the wood. With conditioning, the furniture will have a more even surface. Do the steps stated on the label of the conditioning product when using a wood conditioner.
Stain
The two kinds of wood stains are water-based and oil-based. The former is not toxic and can be cleaned up more easily, though it can cause streaking. The latter is more user-friendly but has stronger fumes and more difficult to remove.
There are stains of hybrid variation also. Consider the kind of wood furniture to be stained before choosing the appropriate kind of wood stain. Apply the stain on the furniture with a brush, rag, or sponge following the direction of the wood pattern. Leave the stain on for a while to allow the wood to absorb the substance.
The longer you let it sit on the wood, the darker its color will be. Wait until the stain is completely dry before applying the finish.
Protect
Polyurethane and tung oil can give the best protection because of their durability. Whatever protection agent you will use, remember to apply the finish only after the stain has been completely dried. If the stain is still wet and you apply the finishing at once, the whole result will be destroyed.
Do not forget to wait for the first coat to dry before applying the second coat. You may apply more coats for better luster. The finish should be completely dry before using the furniture. Drying time takes one to three days, depending on how many coats of stain and finish you applied.
After the stain has dried, you will be amazed with the result when you see how the stained wood furniture stands out among your other furniture. If you are not satisfied, repeat all the steps until you get your desired outcome. It is sometimes a trial and error procedure but if you are able to get it perfectly, all your efforts will be paid off.
