We all know that preparation is the most important part of any project to ensure a great finish!
But did you know, that before you begin to coat or even start to prepare your timber, you should check that you are happy with your stain colour choice.
The final colour of a stain can vary a lot from a colour chart that you use to pick the colour from – as the wood species has a big influence on the look of the stain. All wood varies in density and absorbency. This means some timber will absorb more stain than other timbers and the more stain you apply the darker the colour. It is also important to remember that lighter stain colours will be affected by the colour of the timber, particularly darker wood species.
It is important to test your chosen colour on an off-cut (if possible) or an inconspicuous area to ensure that you are happy with your colour choice. If you find the stain is too light on the timber, you’ll know that you’ll need to add extra coats to darken the colour. Most stains will darken as they dry – so it is best to always start with one coat, or you may find that your timber may end up darker than expected!
Not all finishes are created equal. Transparent finishes allow the underlying timber to have a significant effect on the final colour. While solid colours will hide most of the wood’s character and look more like paint. It’s also worth mentioning that applying a stain with a brush versus spraying or wiping can change the final colour of the timber. This is due to the amount of stain colour applied from the brush, cloth or spray gun. Click on the links for more information on our MIROSTAIN colour(s) choices and our Stain Colour options.