How to stain a wood door.
Top of the doors, showing the transom above
The staining procedure
You will need:
Oil based stain, natural bristle three inch brush, rags, paint thinner, latex gloves,
Good ventilation, saw horses and Patience
You can stain the doors standing up or laid down on saw horses.
When the doors are standing up, you can do both sides the same day.
Brushing on the stain
When the doors are laid on saw horses you get much better vision and better control.
When the door laid flat the stain will not rush down but you can do one side a day for it takes time for the stain to cure, then you can flip the door on the other side.
Stir the can thoroughly and pour a quarter of the can it into a clean large yogurt container.
That will allow the three inch brush to go in without damaging the bristles.
Dip one inch of the brush bristles into the stain and squeeze some off the brush against the container edge.
Knotty alder door before staining
Do a little test on scrap wood and see if you like what you see.
You may want to thin the stain if too thick with paint thinner.
Brush the stain on the door until the brush doesn’t stain, till it gets ‘dry’ , then go over the area you stained and scoop up as much as you can with brush, brush it now on a new area and go back and forth until there is nothing left to scoop up.
Always brush along the wood grain.
Now you are ready to dip the brush again in the stain, repeat the step you just did.
Knotty alder door after staining
Now when the brush is ‘dry’ again blend with the brush all the areas you just stained.
some times I will have a second brush just for doing the blending.
Now that you’re done staining one side of the door, walk around the door and make sure you didn’t missed a spot, if you did, just use the brush without dipping it again. Use long strokes.
Dov Shapira, owner of Shapira Builders
Shapira Builders always gives free estimates
Call 602 – 770 3438
Thanks for the staining how-to. Though I've done lots of painting, I have not done staining for many years. (and I have a deck that's needing it!) Thanks for the tips on coloring and thinning the stain. I think this project is in my near future!
Wow, awesome post, especially the blending with another brush tip. That door came out amazing!