Most people have tremendous success when staining a deciduous hardwood like poplar, teak, beech, oak, cherry, or hickory. But they come away disappointed when staining softer evergreen woods like pine, fir, and eucalyptus. Soft wood absorbs too much stain, and often unequally.
Most people have tremendous success when staining a deciduous hardwood like poplar, teak, beech, oak, cherry, or hickory. But they come away disappointed when staining softer evergreen woods like pine, fir, and eucalyptus. Soft wood absorbs too much stain, and often unequally.
Most people have tremendous success when staining a deciduous hardwood like poplar, teak, beech, oak, cherry, or hickory. But they come away disappointed when staining softer evergreen woods like pine, fir, and eucalyptus. Soft wood absorbs too much stain, and often unequally.
Why? The answer lies in the cell structure of the wood surface. Hardwoods have a dense, tight cell structure so it's harder for the wood stain to penetrate deeply or quickly. There's plenty of time to wipe the woodworking project down to achieve the desired shading.
Softwoods, on the other hand, have larger, more open cells. This makes them drink in the stain quickly and deeply, leaving a small amount of time to work the surface. This results in a darker shade than the picture on the can shows, and yielding very irregular results.
How do Paint Contractors and Carpenters Get it Right?
The technique isn't exactly a trade secret, but it's not really advertised either. Surprisingly, the stain marketers don't talk about it much either. The trick is to make evergreens behave like deciduous wood trim or boards.
Knowing that the cell structure must be tamed, the answer is to first apply a clear conditioner on softwood. When a clear solution quenches the wood's thirst, it will behave like oak or cherry without altering the color. The can will have instructions, but typically manufacturers recommend a short period of time between application of the clear conditioner and the stain.
One popular product is the Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner. The reason this product is so popular is that most of the big box home improvement stores sell a full line of Minwax stains and it's always a good idea to use a family of products for the best results.
Success Tips for all Wood Staining Projects
The most important thing to remember is to sand the wood with the right sandpaper grades. Which one is the correct starting point depends on how rough the surface is to begin with. The smaller the number, the courser the grit. For example, #50 is very coarse while #180 is much more fine. The idea is to have the surface as slick as possible. The less open grain (smoother), the more uniform the absorption will be.
Work the wood. Use a latex glove and a soft, lint-free cloth or a brush to apply the stain. Immediately wipe the stain off the surface and examine it for proper shade. If it needs to be darker, make another application and wipe again. Wood finish is not rocket science, but it is sort of an art form. The good thing is that it gives the woodworker complete control, unlike painting. Bring out the beauty of the wood.
There are 2 good choices when finishing a woodworking project or wood molding with a stain. First, use a straight stain, let it dry, and finish with polyurethane or some other urethane product. The second choice is to combine the steps and use a product that combines the stain and polyurethane.
Kelly Smith - Kelly has over 30 years experience as a journeyman carpenter and 20 as a freelance writer and photographer.
Join the Conversation