Suggested Steps for Staining Interior Wood

Suggested Steps for Staining Interior Wood

The difference that a beautifully stained wood staircase or floor can make to a space is tremendous. Not only will stained wood give your interior design a classy look, but it will protect the wood as well. This article aims to break down staining interior wood step by step to make it as simple as possible to do your very own wood staining.

Fix Damage

Before staining your wood, you need to repair any damage that you find first. Make sure that the wood is clean and sanded smooth before doing anything else. You can use wood filler to fill in any holes or cracks, utilizing a flat knife to guide it.

After the patched areas have completely dried, you can do another light sanding to smooth out any roughness on the surface.

Sand Everything Smooth 

Use sandpaper with a lower grit, between 80-grit and 100-grit, to thoroughly sand the wood that you plan to stain. Leaving the wood a little on the rougher side will help the stain sink in better and turn out darker. You can either use a sand block and manpower or an orbital sander that will do most of the grunt work for you.

Once you have finished sanding the wood surface, clear it of all wood dust that remains, and then sand again using higher grit, or around 180-grit, sandpaper. Next, you should get the wood wet to raise up the grain. After you let the wood dry, sand it again using higher-grit sandpaper, between 180 and 220. Then wipe off all the wood dust remaining.

Condition the Wood

If your wood is pine, cherry, or some other type of wood, you will need to use a conditioner to prevent the stain from making it appear blotchy. What this does is seal up any open spaces in the wood to help the stain absorb evenly. If you’re using a stain gel, this conditioner is not required.

You may also need grain filler for certain types of wood such as oak and mahogany. You should gently sand these areas after scraping extra bits off and wipe the surface clean. There are different pigments you can get for the filler, so try to find one that matches the color of the stain you plan to use.

Stain and Seal

Stir the can of stain well before using a rag or piece of cloth to apply it. Get the cloth to a point of saturation without the stain dripping off it. Check the can to see any specific directions for application.

The most important thing is that you apply enough stain to the wood. With that said, also make sure that you apply the stain in small amounts to make sure that you don’t apply too much. Also, wipe away any excess stain before it dries; otherwise, it will be much more difficult to do. When you are wiping it away, move in the direction of the wood grain.

You need to finish the project with something such as polyurethane to protect the newly stained wood. Add two to three coats using a brush or a spray can. Once this has dried, your wood is finished.

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