After staining wood, you should finish the job by sealing the stain in with one of our Wood Waxes, Wood Varnishes or Wood Oils. These will enhance the colour of the stain further, provide additional protection and can be used to alter the finish to either satin or gloss. Wood Stain Options A highly concentrated wood stain that stains wood in one simple application. The formulation is water-based and so is safe to use in all environments, has a very low odour and is non-toxic.

Our Wood Stain is specially formulated to evenly dye wood, ensuring equal and even colour penetration throughout. The stain dries to a natural matt finish in only 10 minutes and has excellent coverage. Finishing wood after staining In all instances, ensure the surface is clean and any saw dust or dirt has been removed before applying the Wood Stain. Applying Wood StainOur Wood Stain can be used to restore or change the colour of all types of interior and exterior wood. It can be used to stain old wood, as well as brand new wood and is easy and simple to use. The Wood Stain instructions below explain thoroughly how to prepare wood, stain wood, and then how to protect wood afterwards. They will help you get the best results when using our Wood Stain. Preparing Wood for Staining A. Wood Stain is designed to penetrate into the wood and so the longer you leave it on the more it will soak in and the darker the wood will become. Wood can also only absorb so much stain before it becomes saturated and so any excess would then dry on the surface. This is why we recommend wiping the stain off after one or two minutes. A. If the surface is dirty clean it first with a suitable Wood Cleaner. Otherwise, sand it with #100 Sanding Pad in the direction of the grain. If the wood is freshly sawn, you may need to start with something more coarse such as 120g sandpaper and work your way up with the Sanding Pads. A. We recommend leaving the stain to soak into the wood for one or two minutes before wiping the excess off. This will prevent the stain from staining the wood too dark; you can then apply a second application of Wood Stain if you want to darken the wood further.

A. You shouldn’t sand wood after you’ve applied a Wood Stain. The wood should be sanded prior to staining. If the wood stain raises the grain of the wood, you can sand the wood and then restain. But that's not all. Johnstone's Indoor & Outdoor Woodstain is also an eco-friendly choice, made with low VOC technology. This means that it has a reduced impact on the environment, making it safe to use in your home or garden. The longer you leave the excess on the surface to soak in the deeper/richer the colour will appear. We therefore recommend removing it after only a minute or two and if it dries too light, you can apply another coat. However, if you apply too much and it dries too dark, it is much harder to sand, strip and then re-stain the wood!

If you are unsure of the wood stain colour, test it on an unseen area first. The stain can be applied with either a cloth, bristle brush, or for best results a Foam Brush. Apply the stain liberally going in the direction of the grain. Leave it to soak in for a minute or two and then wipe any excess of using a Lint Free Cloth. Buy our Tester Kit that includes 9 colours of Wood Stain that we do(15ml Tester Pots in Slate, Warm Graphite or Grey are not included in the Tester Kit). Pine & Softwoods – Once you have prepared the surface as above you should apply a Pre-Stain Conditioner. This is because softwoods absorb wood stains in an uneven fashion and could come out blotchy once stained. If you don't have a conditioner, you should wipe the wood down with a wet cloth so the wood becomes damp. After the wood dries, sand it smooth using a #100 Fine Sanding Pad - this process helps reduce the uneven absorbtion of stain often found in softwoods. New Wood – Needs to be sanded first to create a lovely smooth finish prior to applying the Wood Stain. Sand first with 120g sandpaper, then with a #60 Coarse Sanding Pad (240g sandpaper), and again with #100 Fine Sanding Pad (320g sandpaper). This process will help even out the surface, creating a lovely smooth finish for the stain to absorb into.