For many years, people were painting over woodwork, which basically destroyed the entire look of the room. Now once again, people are getting rid of that paint and preparing, sanding and staining the woodwork, restoring it to its original beauty.

If you are staining small portions of a room, chances are you can do the job yourself. Pick out the color stain that will give you the look you want to achieve and go with it. Two main types of interior wood stains are used, wiping stain (water and/or oil based) and gel stain. Many special effects can be achieved using these stains or even a combination. Again, if you are doing just a small job yourself, the salesperson at the store should be able to help. However, if you are doing anything major such as floors, doorways, doors, or wood walls, you will want to hire a professional.

Different stains can give different effects. As stated above, you can sometimes combine the types of stains for yet another effect. If you have a lot of wood that needs to be stained, a professional will know just how to do the job once they understand the look you want in the room. If you are intent on doing the job yourself, you should know the differences in stains. With the wiping stain, which is often used on doors, oil based takes longer to dry but you have much more control over color depth Water based dries much quicker but you don’t have much control over the depth of color. Gel stains offer you the confidence of no drips or runs and can also be used on veneer, fiberglass, metal and masonite. This oil based stain can be applied with either a natural bristle brush or clean lint free rag. It feels dry to the touch very quickly but you should still let it properly dry for 24 hours.

The reason it is often better to have a professional do the big jobs is that they have the knowledge of what stain to use on what surface and how much of it to use. The same interior wood stain will not be used on a fiberglass door than what is used on a walnut trim in a room. Unless you are prepared to learn the differences and the application techniques, it is best to leave it to professionals. Small jobs, such as the trim or a door, can be fun to do yourself and you’ll often need only one type of stain for one small job. Starting out doing the smaller jobs will let you build up your experience until you are familiar enough to handle the big jobs. Interior wood stains have such a dramatic effect on the look of your room. In fact, it can literally transform a room into a work of art.

Interested in painting servcies for your home? Get your project started by submitting a free BuyerZone request for painting and staining price quotes.