Staining Outdoor Wooden Furniture - The Ultimate Guide

What Is Woodstain?

The first thing to cover when discussing staining wooden furniture is what exactly is meant by stain. Due to the nature of wood being a natural, absorbent substrate, there are a number of options when it comes to treating them. Wood treatments come in a number of forms; including wood paint, woodstain, wood varnish and wood oil.

• Wood paint - these products offer a solid, opaque coloured finish that completely covers the grain of the wood. These come in satin, eggshell, gloss & matt finishes that all vary in their level of sheen
• Woodstain - these offer a coloured finish while enhancing the grain of the wood by penetrating into the wood
• Wood varnish - these create a protective barrier on wood that does not alter the colour of wood but will seal and protect it
• Wood oil - these nourish the wood to enhance it's natural beauty, creating an easy to maintain protection that become part of the wood

Why Stain Garden Furniture?

Garden furniture can come in all shapes and sizes, but some of the most common pieces of garden furniture are wooden benches, tables & chairs. These present a fantastic opportunity to get your paint brush out and give them a new lease of life, as tired looking garden furniture can be a slight eye sore on your outdoor space.

Painting garden furniture has a range of benefits:

• Offers a much cheaper alternative to buying new outdoor furniture, which can be extremely costly, plus it can be difficult to get your hands on in peak months
• You can achieve any look you desire using woodstain
• It is a fantastic way to brighten up an outdoor space and add some personality
• By staining wooden furniture, you are providing it with added durability and protection from weathering, which wood is particularly prone to as it is a natural substrate
• Stains help reflect UV light, which prevents wood from fading and losing it's colour

The Best Wooden Garden Furniture Stain

The chances are, if you are looking to stain your wooden garden furniture, you will be wanting some advice on the best stain to use. There is a seemingly endless amount of wood treatments available in the UK that all seem to do the same thing, which can make it difficult to get to the bottom of which actually provides the best value for money.

Luckily, our team of experts have been working in the decorating trade for 30 years, allowing them to provide the very best advice on what product to use and why.

Here is their pick for the best stain for wood:

Sadolin Classic

When it comes to woodstain, our experts highly recommend Sadolin Classic Woodstain. This is a high-quality woodstain that can be applied to all exterior wood, offering superb, long-lasting protection from weathering.

It deeply penetrates into wood and flexes with the timber, helping to resist blistering and flaking. Furthermore, it has a microporous formulation ensures that moisture in the timber can pass through the surface without being trapped. Without this breathability, the moisture would cause the stain to fail much quicker.

Aside from its performance, Sadolin Classic will weather naturally, which means that future maintenance coats of the stain can be applied directly to the wood without sanding the timber first.

Finally, Sadolin Classic can be mixed in a huge range of colours. This means that you can get creative and pick a colour that will make your garden furniture stand out. Due to the grain of the wood being visible underneath the stain, bold colours such as pinks and blues have a much more subtle look, maintaining some of the natural beauty of the wood while enhancing it with a beautiful new colour. Sadolin Classic also comes in a range of popular neutral and woody shades such as Light Oak & Ebony, for a more traditional look on wooden furniture.

• Can be mixed in hundreds of colours
• Excellent absorption
• Coverage of up to 18m² per litre
• Superb protection from the elements

How To Stain Wooden Garden Furniture

Once you have found the stain best suited for you, it is time to get your paint brush out! While it can be tempting to cut out steps that seem unnecessary, the key to long-lasting, beautiful results is proper preparation. If you take your time and follow each step in our experts guide, you will achieve results you can be proud of for years to come.

Here is our simple step-by-step guide to staining garden furniture:

What You Will Need:

• Woodstain
• Paint brush
• Paint roller
• Dust sheet
• Masking tape
• Filler
• Stripping knife (if required)
• Stiff brush

1. Preparation

Before starting with your project, put the garden furniture on a dust sheet to prevent any stain spatter and move anything from the area. The wood must be clean, dry and sound for the stain to be applied. Using a stiff brush, remove any large parts of dirt from the timber, along with any large parts of loose paint, if the timber has been previously painted. If the wood has been previously painted, use a stripping knife to remove the rest of the paint, as this will prevent the stain from penetrating into the wood.

Once any large parts of previous coating or dirt have been removed, degrease any exposed bare timber using a damp cloth and white spirit.

Any minor surface defects, imperfections or cracks can be filled with a suitable wood filler. Ensure you use a wood filler that can be stained, as not all fillers can.

Lightly sand previously stained wood in the direction of the grain. Be aware that sanding too firmly will result in the previous coating breaking. Once sanded, remove any dust from the timber.

2. Stain

Before you begin applying your stain, ensure that it will not rain. You need enough time to apply two coats of woodstain, which in the case of Sadolin Classic Woodstain means you must wait 16-24 hours between coats. Temperatures must also not be below 8 °C or above 25°C. Ensure that your woodstain is thoroughly stirred before and during application.

Using a paint brush or a 4" mini paint roller, apply your woodstain in the direction of the grain, ensuring a new, even coating is applied. After a few minutes it is recommended to redistribute the coating while you have a wet edge to ensure an even spread and prevent any drips.

Allow to completely dry for 16-24 hours overnight before recoating with your second coat.

Ideas For Staining Garden Furniture

Need some inspiration for staining your wooden furniture? Here are some of our favourite examples that we couldn't help but share with you!

Natural

Sometimes, you cannot beat a natural look. Woodstains often come in various woody tones as standard that allow you to create a natural wood finish to match the rest of your outdoor decor. Staining outdoor wooden furniture using a wood tone can be just as effective at making it look brand new than a colour change.

From a new timber like shade such as light oak to a dark, rich ebony, you can perfect match your garden furniture to the rest of your garden, such as fencing, decking and sheds.

Be Creative!

While many people want a natural look, woodstain is a perfect way to add colour and character to an outdoor space. Woodstains are available in a range of pastel tones, from pinks to baby blues, allowing you to add a light colour element to your garden furniture. Stains offer a softer finish that paint, which lends itself to creating a more subtle look.

Don't be limited to just colours when it comes to staining furniture. Patterns are simple to do, but hugely effective. Why not try staining each plank of wood a different shade, creating an ombre effect or use some masking tape to create a chevron pattern like blogger Tidylife?

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is wood stain oil-based?

Woodstains come in both oil-based and water-based form. Sadolin Classic for example is an oil-based, otherwise known as solvent-based, woodstain. When deciding what woodstain to go for, it is important to consider the type of woodstain, as it can make a significant difference.

Oil-based and water-based formulations vary in four main ways; their durability, VOC levels, drying time & application.

Oil-based woodstains provide higher levels of durability and upon application, offe a better finish with less effort, allowing you to get a beautifully even finish.

On the other hand they are higher in Volatile Organic Compounds or VOC's, which can have an impact on the environment. Oil-based formulations having upwards of 70% VOC's and water-based having as little as 10%. The most significant difference is in drying time, with oil-based woodstains being recoatable in 16-24 hours and water-based woodstains being recoatable in 3-4 hours.

Overall, while their is no definitive answer as to which form is best, it is always worth considering before choosing what woodstain to use.

Q. How many coats of woodstain are required?

How many coats of woodstain you will need depends on the product you are using. As a general rule, two coats of woodstain should suffice, although on particularly absorbent timber you may require three coats.

Q. How much woodstain do I need?

Once again, how much woodstain you will need depends on the product you are using. Unlike paint, woodstain is difficult to accurately estimate due to the differences in timber. Coverage will vary from up to 5m² depending on the type of wood you are staining. For example, Sadolin Classic has a coverage of up to 15m² per litre on planed softwood or hardwood and a coverage of up to 18m² per litre on rough sawn timber.

If you have an idea of the type of timber you are staining, simply divide the estimated coverage by the number of coats you require. For example, if you are using Sadolin Classic on planed hardwood, with two coats required, you will get a coverage of 7.5m² per litre.

We hope this has answered any questions you may have had regarding how to stain outdoor wooden furniture and what to consider. If you require any more help, just send an email to hello@paintersworld.co.uk and our expert team will be on hand to give you any advice you require. At Painters World we have a wide range of paints available, so no matter the job, we've got the right tools for you. Shop today & get FREE next working day delivery on all orders over £50.