Interior staining is something that many homeowners are taking into their own hands to reinvent their spaces. From the gorgeous variety of shades available in the world to the combinations and clever patterning that’s becoming popular, there are countless ways to create your dream home.
Before you get staining, these are the most important things you should keep in mind to ensure that you create the perfect home.
You Don’t Have to Keep Scars and Scratches.
Don’t allow stains and scratches in your wood to make you back down and give up on a project, or even worse, stain over these imperfections. Instead, you can use wood filler to fill these out. If there’s a massively drastic color difference between the wood filler areas and the natural wood, consider staining this portion once or twice before staining the rest to get it up to the right darkness. If the wood grain is vibrant throughout the piece, you can easily fake wood grain using paint markers and a steady hand.
Pay Attention to the Other Wood in Your Home
Whatever other wood is in your home may have to affect what color you choose to stain whatever you’re working on. This could mean matching furniture wood stain colors or taking the time to stain everything simultaneously. Request swatches, and do a walkthrough of your home with each, considering if there are one or two colors that would make you enjoy your home all the better.
How to Select the Best Stain for Your Project
Picking the best interior wood stain and sealer is a lot to take on. Beyond the color, you must find a wood stain that has a rich, long-lasting color. Even if you don’t plan on allowing this item to sit in sunlight all day, seeking out a stain that won’t fade or age poorly will save you from having to do this project all over again.
What to Do if the Surface is Painted or Stained Already
Some incorrectly assume that if an item is stained already, you can’t change the color ever again. Fortunately, that’s not the case! Instead, you can create a piece as unique as you want it by looking up a good stain or paint stripper that will cover the affected area. This highly corrosive substance detaches the paint and sucks out as much of the stain as possible.
You’ll have to wipe it down according to directions, sand the surface, and then repeat this project until you’re as close to the original wood color as you want to be. Make sure that you know what the wood originally was when it was built into this piece to save yourself from accidentally taking apart something with a faux-wood coating.
How to Properly Stain Doors With White Trim
White trim scares many people when they’re staining, either because they’re nervous about getting stains on it and ruining the paint or don’t know if the white trim can even stay there. Of course, you can keep your white border: but you must tape off the area the same way you’d tape if you were painting. Fortunately, white paint comes relatively cheaply, so if you mess up while applying multiple layers to wood doors with white trim: you can paint over the white.
Never Stain in Thick Layers
Many who are new to staining may assume that the best way to get a deep color is to add a lot of stain to an area: but globbing it on this can add textural issues and cause warping in your wood. Instead, it’s a better idea to add multiple thin layers of stain over time. This will allow the color to build to a more natural dark color and let your wood keep its smooth look.
Is This A Project to Take On By Yourself?
DIY is on the rise, and most see it as a great way to save money and gain experience. Unfortunately, stains can stain clothing, be difficult to work with, and accidentally land on things you don’t want to color. If you’re nervous and feeling out of your comfort zone while staining times, consider hiring a professional painter or stainer to complete this project for you. You can ask if you can tag along to watch and take notes so that you can do this next time and learn from a professional instead of a tiny video you have pulled up on your phone while you do it!
Interior Staining Can Transform the Look of a Home
The interior stain you land on can change not only how modern your home looks but also how spacious and luxurious it feels. Consider the many options out there, and properly stain your home so that it looks exactly how you want it to!
Andrew Wesley is an editor for the Innovative Building Materials blog and a content writer for the building materials industry. He is focused on helping fellow homeowners, contractors, and architects discover materials and methods of construction that save money, improve energy efficiency, and increase property value.