Staining 101: The Easiest Way to Make Wood POP!

Published on by gillwithadrill

Hey!

Staining is a simple and easy way to really bring wood to life. There are a ton of different colours and finishes to choose from and all you need is a microfiber cloth to get started. Here are some things to consider when choosing what stain to go with:

1) Type of wood you will be using

The first thing you need to determine is the kind of wood you will be staining. Different species of wood absorb stain differently – hardwoods vs softwoods. Be sure to consider the grain on your wood as darker stains will accentuate them and lighter stains will somewhat conceal them.  

Here is a great blog that shows how the same stain colour looks on different types of wood*

2) Oil-based vs Water-based stains

Depending on your project you will need to look at what base your stain should have. Oil based stains tend to take longer to dry giving you more time to work with it – better for floors and cabinetry. Water based stains, on the other hand, take less time to dry and clean up a lot easier – better for smaller quicker projects.

3) Make sure you have the right equipment

Some projects recommend you use a foam brush to apply the stain and then wipe with a cloth, others you can just dip the microfiber cloth into the stain and apply. Make sure you have plenty of tarps laid out so that you don’t spill stain everywhere. I highly recommend staining your projects outside for ventilation and easier clean up.

4) Final finishes

If you have a smaller project this step is ‘optional’. There are a variety of different finishes that can be applied on top of the stain to seal and protect the wood. From shiny lacquer to a clear matte polyurethane, you can choose to seal the wood with whatever you like.

Now that you got the basics, it’s time to pick the colour. There are hundreds of shade ranges to choose from and be sure to test them out on a piece of wood so that you know what to expect. Don’t be afraid to mix stains!

Here are my favourite stain colours: 

Minwax Jacobean

Minwax Classic Gray

Minwax Provencal

What’s your favourite stain colour?

Vips

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