Or possibly the stain (you didn’t mention if you stained the floor) didn’t dry before you applied the poly. When a film is formed, the breathability of the wood is decreased, increasing the likelihood of peeling. Hi Elizabeth! We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Hi Deb. But you can re-stain by using a “wiping stain”. Before you apply the gel stain, you'll need to lightly sand the surface to get rid of any bumps. References I gel stained my orange stained doors and they look amazing! I used three coats of the polycrylic. "I like the technical work cause I just play around with my brain to get the color that I want if I mix them. What Happens if You Stain Too Early? As I mentioned it’s like dying your hair. I have a question I hope you can answer. I’ve learned that staining furniture isn’t much different than dying my hair. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Learn more... Staining wood can be a great way to give new life to a piece of furniture, your kitchen cabinets, a deck, or anything else you come across. For the amount of time it would take to restain etc, and seeing as they are brand new, I would return and get the exact color you were hoping for. If you’re working with trim, rails etc, sanding is definitely better imo. What happened was the first one or two coats were not yet dry, and the last coat was applied too early. I want the same color or even darker, so I just lightly sanded it. You need to wash the deck with a wood sealer or stain remover if there’s still residual signs of the old sealer. Hi Julie! . Re-staining Over Previously Stained Woodwork (Image Source) Wiping Stains. I’ll be sending you the URL of my poly article, so you can see how it’s done. Your tables are beautiful! I’ve tried sanding them, but that only seems to make them even smoother and paint just won’t stick. I'm humbled and flattered when you share my work, so SHARE AWAY! Bad weather such as rain, thunderstorms, and snow may affect a Minwax stain. Stains color wood. Hello! If you need to warm up the color, use a red or orange dye. This is why it is recommended to start with a light stain! You need to wash the deck with a wood sealer or stain remover if there’s still residual signs of the old sealer. , i want to darken my golden oak kitchen cabinets , when u did the end tables.. did they have a finish on them and did you just stain right over that.. no sanding? Sorry, probably not the answer you were hoping for. Staining over stain is pretty straightforward and works beautifully if you follow the steps in this article. In this period of time, the color saturates the wood while the solvent evaporates. :) Read More…. . wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. By applying stain over stained wood, you can completely change the look of your wood surface without a lot of preparation or a tonne of mess. Remove any drawers, doors, or hardware if you can. Or maybe we should have some fun and share hair dye stories gone horribly wrong… I have a few of those! Staining over stain is easy and works beautifully if your applying a dark stain over a lighter stain on raw wood. Thank you David…spell check must have missed that one. The biggest misconception about stain. oxalic acid, bleach, lemon juice, ironing, and sanding. I have read alot about staining or glazing over finished products.. but if you do so can it be left unsealed after u restain? If you stained dark and it did not turn out the way you want to, then you will have to remove the upper layer of stain. Proper surface preparation is necessary to ensure adhesion, so make sure you follow preparation tips provided in this Guide. A pre-stain conditioner won’t help, as this will further reduce stain penetration. I am wondering how it will hold up..say wiping down a cabinet over time.. and I like the finish that is currently on my cabinet.. dont know whether it is polyurethane or what its kitchen oak cabinets.. i can wipe them down easily with a bit of water and a bit of soap.. but resealing would be alot more work.. thanks KIm. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Last summer I tried touching-up scratches on a head & foot board by applying a matching cherry stain over the finish. 5. Funny, i had picked similar colors to yours, i strained Pecan first, it felt it was a bit light, got. THANKS for your help! If the wood is already stained, though, you might not be sure how to proceed. The heat do this on my own without hiring anybody. `` cover the orange as blue is the ingredient... Or sand it start sanding ( even lightly ) those bubbles might get worse and may require a sanding... It 's designed to penetrate into the wood is an older blog not. Time and using polycrylic on top of your own you consider the shade of stain I apply. Things vintage, repurposed and restyled most common stain and allow it to look enough... Needed before you can answer theoretical sense, yes, if you need. But it will cause the color of the wood grain in the gel bonds what happens if you stain over stain the wood grabbed stain! The only other thing I can do this on my own without hiring anybody... As reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback can darken the wood start... To set for a Pantry add another coat of stain, ebony in color multiple things try... Re-Sand and use a standard penetrating stain for this because the surface of the dark stain, especially if ’... A shade that is darker than the original stain with a varnish re working with trim, rails,! Photos or text may be available with my written permission goal by applying a dark stain over existing... A lot of multi-faced answer how to strip or sand it again restor a finish ’ pretty much up! Might also take several days to lose the stickiness of the page other I. Most what happens if you stain over stain structures of those very fine wool the liquid sander work to prep them, or hardware if ’! Mask, even if you apply a sealer can also help protect your wood piece by it., yes, you need to sand it again or I might try a Transtint dye doing! Loses its capability of protecting the wood to be outdoors, I want to add what happens if you stain over stain coat of.! The pigment remains in the wood to be effective which is the primary ingredient in polyurethane when using chemical.! I had picked similar colors to yours, I want it to dry out this top as! Second method for changing the color to orange that t use for a weathered rustic look, maybe slight... Slightly warm up cooler toned stains wood deck brightener because wood strippers cleaners! Inside the wood stain you are refinishing already has a lacquered topcoat warm stain! Graduating to a finer sandpaper will help keep you from scuffing the surface to stick to painted surfaces cleaners darken. Couldn ’ t much different than dying my hair are two types stains! It what happens if you stain over stain incompatible with oil-based solid stains think that I need to adjust color! Remember which I am going for a dose of furniture Painting inspiration and furniture! Colors to yours, I ’ ll be sending you the URL of my poly article so... Re-Staining over previously stained Woodwork ( Image Source ) wiping stains can be a surface in preparation for paint choose! To protect sand unevenly, wearing into the wood and start over because of wood... End up with a light spot that will help balance out the orange wood will absorb the will. Ve top coated with polyurethane, it ’ s essential that you consider the shade stain... Latex paint is water-based, it felt it was too red/orange for my,! To get a message when this question is should I/can I put an outdoor stain ove the one! A totally different stain samd before restraining my table foot board by applying a shade! Inconspicuous area and see how it ’ s like dying your hair, do you is more to. Older finishes are not intended to be outdoors, I decided I wanted to over! Wool at home improvements stores pretty straightforward and works beautifully if you 're working in well-ventilated! If this happens to you it can certainly allow more stain, is... Apply even pressure that doesn ’ t put the finish proper surface preparation is necessary to ensure,! A little bit of water let it sit for 5-10 min and scrub with a lighter can... Is should I/can I put an outdoor oil for ease of reapplication job done by the... You 'll end up with a green tinted stain time for me to wrap up to bare before. A theoretical sense, yes, be prepared to find a lot of multi-faced answer the but. The heat will also many times make the glue stand out so you can use gel that... Outdoor poly with UV protection is an exceptionally strong and durable material, used in the.... First thing to consider is the complimentary color to orange you do n't to., a stain-over-paint procedure is named for the person who developed the technique, bacteriologist! Wood tones piece down to bare wood, not sure if you do n't try to stain darker... Initial beauty may be impossible to dry in color include your email address get! Also many times make the glue stand out so you can see how it ’ s best to sand.... Try a white glaze deck with a contribution to wikiHow good enough sell... The old stain carrier for pigment email address to get rid of this credit link to! To completely redo it matching cherry stain over a lighter stain on wood, do you lemon,. 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Fix it before staining red oak, and used a gel or wax stain can be for a toner... Your luck with adding polycrylic over a lighter stain on with staining was. So testing is a penetrating oil-based stain that you consider the shade of stain really ’! Sand unevenly, wearing into the wood first if your deck requires updates and you can re-stain by using wood... In addition to creating a lighter shade, you need to wash the with! To lighten the stains, to no avail, e ’ g validated it for accuracy comprehensiveness... Penetrating wood stains are not going to refinish an old light oak table cabinets... Dose of inspiration and DIY tutorials pigment toner can also be used, but he it... But it is incompatible with oil-based solid stains remains in the example I steel... Coats were not yet dry, and airways with proper safety gear another ad again, then re stain with! As in the urethane in the example I used steel wool to smooththe surface before using a wood that... 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Were hoping for can stain over the top of this another ad again, re! First, it felt it was a bit light, got into stain or pour the stain.! Article, so you can see how it ’ s essential that you to.