Cleaning Wood Stairs Before Staining

The technique of wetting the wood down before staining is called popping the grain.

Cleaning wood stairs before staining.

What it does is open the pores of the wood to allow it to take the stain evenly and deeply. Wipe any excess moisture off with a clean towel. Now that you have chosen the right stain for your project s wood the next step is to clean the wood surfaces. There are a few ways to prepare a wooden surface for staining.

Use a pressure washer if the wood has tough stains. You need to prepare the surface of your furniture or your wood before you apply a stain. The wood grain is so open that in one coat you should be able to get the look you want. Lastly before you stain it s a good idea to use tack cloths to clean every last bit of dust off the prepped wood surface.

How to stain wood. Clean unfinished wood with a damp rag before staining. Coarse grits those under 100 damage a fine wood finish. Unless the wood is entirely new you ll need to clean the surface free of dirt or mildew before finishing so the wood stain doesn t trap any imperfections.

How to prep wood for staining. Fine grits such as 220 are frequently used for a final light sanding just before applying stain to the wood. Fill a spray bottle with 2 cups of water. When you water pop wood you won t have to do multiple coats of stain either.

Before you apply stain make sure the surface is clean no dust dirt wood fibers or grease dry and free from mildew. When a surface is not clean stains and other finishes have trouble sticking and may end up peeling. A big part of knowing how to clean a deck before staining involves finding reasonable deck cleaning solutions and making sure that you use a pressure washer to clean the deck. If the wood isn t sealed properly the moisture could cause the wood to warp or stain over time.

You must never overlook these or else your work will end up looking subpar. Let the wood dry thoroughly. Tack cloth is a cheesecloth like piece of fabric that s coated in a layer of sticky adhesive. It s important to know what to use to clean deck before staining if you want to make sure that the stain lasts for a long time.

This means you have to use a type of cleaning solution that gets rid of buildup without leaving any residue behind as the stain won t properly absorb otherwise. But staining is not merely swathing liquid stain all over your furniture or wooden décor. Clean unfinished wood with a damp rag before staining. Medium and fine grades of sandpaper are generally used in refinishing furniture and antiques.

Medium grits such as 120 and 150 are useful for removing old finish or scratches. When cleaning your wood doors with water or other liquid cleaners make sure you let the wood dry thoroughly. Wash the pressure treated wood with a deck cleaner scrubbing the wood surface with a brush while wet. The basic approach is a 6 step process.