How to Stain Wood - The Expert Guide

It’s a question we’re asked all the time: how do you stain wood? From decking stain to Ronseal wood stain, black wood stain, exterior wood stain, grey wood stain and garden furniture stain, wood stains provide beautiful colour and help keep wood in great condition.

Here’s our special guide to staining wood, a partner to our previous post on the same subject…

Osmo Polyx Oil Tints

About staining wood – An expert guide

How can you achieve a professional wood stain finish? First, you need to know what type of wood you’re dealing with or, at the very least, establish whether it’s a hardwood or softwood.

• Softwoods include things like pine, fir and cedar.
• Hardwoods include beech, ash, elm, birch and walnut.
• But… box is a very soft hardwood, fir is a very hard softwood and oak is a medium hardwood.

How do you tell the difference between hardwoods and softwoods?

This is a tricky one with no straightforward answer. If the grain is uneven, has lots of knots or includes blotchy patterns, it’s probably a softwood and may stain unevenly unless you follow a few common-sense rules. Unless, of course, you actually want an uneven look – some people love it that way because it enhances the wood’s natural character.

If the wood has a consistent grain pattern and few or no knots, it’s probably a hardwood. You can use any kind of stain you like on hardwoods since they’re much more forgiving than softwoods, but bear in mind you might need to apply several coats to get the effect you’re after.

Types of wood staining product

• Oil-based stains deliver long-lasting colour, penetrating deep into the wood’s pores to produce a microporous finish that brings out its natural beauty.
• Water-based stains deliver excellent, even colour, have very little odour and are easy to apply. You can also dilute the colour by simply mixing in more water.
• Solvent-based stains, including lightfast stains, offer excellent colour and coverage with very quick drying times.

12 steps to wood staining perfection

1. Not 100% sure what you’re doing? Experiment first on an area that doesn’t show or on a spare piece of the same type of wood.
2. Clean the wood first with white spirit so it’s free from grease, dirt and dust.
3. Grab some sandpaper! The lower the grit number, the rougher the sanded wood will be. The wood will absorb more stain, giving a darker colour.
4. The higher the grit number, the smoother the sanded wood will be. The wood will absorb less stain, giving a lighter colour.
5. If you’re staining something flat, it helps to use a lower grit, such as 60 or 80, to take off blemishes, then finish with 100- or 120-grit paper.
6. If you want a medium depth of colour from your stain, don’t use anything higher than 120 grit.
7. When you’ve finished sanding, wipe the wood down thoroughly to get rid of dust and debris.
8. Apply your stain using a sponge, brush or cloth, depending on the manufacturer’s instructions.
9. Apply the stain generously, working in one smooth, continuous movement across the wood in the direction of the grain. Cover the entire item evenly.
10. If you don’t know how quickly the wood will take up the stain, wipe it on and off with a clean cloth and see what happens – you’ll soon get a feel for the way it behaves.
11. Bear in mind that it’s easier to add more stain than to remove it.
12. When you’re happy with the colour, leave it to dry.

Handy tips to make staining wood easier

What about filled wood? Fillers rarely turn the same colour as the surrounding stained wood. You could try buying a wood filler gel and adding some of your wood stain to it to make a paste of the right colour. Or you can just go with the shabby chic flow and stain a piece in an ‘honest’ way, leaving the filler to do its thing regardless.

How do I make sure the wood stains evenly?

Woods such as birch and beech are notorious for going blotchy when stained. Always do a test area first, either on a different piece of wood or in an area that doesn’t show. If your wood blotches and stains unevenly, try wiping it over with white spirit, as this will remove any contamination from the surface and help to give a more consistent colour and finish.

Some stains work better on blotchy woods than others. As a general rule, darker stains tend to work best because of their high concentration of pigments. The more layers you add, the deeper the colour. It’s important to check that the stain and sealer work together. In our experience, if you stick to the same manufacturer for each, you can’t go far wrong.

One thing to beware of is that if the wood is completely sealed, there’s no way your stain is going to penetrate beneath the surface. You may be able to dilute the sealer with white spirit, experimenting more safely with less chance of disaster. Again, test your diluted sealer on a spare piece of wood or in an area that doesn’t show.

What if I want a really deep, dark colour?

If you’re applying a dark-coloured stain, two or three coats should make it as dark as anyone would need. If you need it darker still, add a few drops of black from the same colour range. Bear in mind that, as well as making the stain darker, this will also change the shade slightly.

The final touch…

Once you’ve stained your item, it’s time to add a clear finish. Most finishes come in a variety of sheens, from high gloss to matt. This is one of the best bits of the job. Your wood already looks pretty damned good. But when you seal it, the colour shines through beautifully and you get a wonderful finish. How satisfying!

An excellent example of deep, dark stained wood. Photo credit: Decorative Concrete Kingdom

Need our help with your stained wood project?

For more information about wood stains and their uses, contact our team of resident experts, who are always on hand to help with project advice and product recommendations.

We love to see before, during and after photos of any wood finishing project. If you would like to share your decking project pictures with us, you can either send us some photos or share them on our Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram pages.

Other great blogs that discuss wood stains

• Traditional Looking Wood Stains with a Modern Twist