How to Stain White Pine Lumber

Lead Image for How to Stain White Pine Lumber
  • 2-3 hours
  • Beginner
  • 20
What You'll Need
Wood stain
Wood conditioner
Sander
Paintbrush
Stirrer
Container
Tack cloth
What You'll Need
Wood stain
Wood conditioner
Sander
Paintbrush
Stirrer
Container
Tack cloth

Staining white pine lumber involves more effort on your part since it is not that easy to stain as compared to other types of wood. White pine lumber is very porous, so it easily absorbs the staining material. As with all staining tasks, the wood should be well prepared before you proceed with the actual staining. When staining white pine lumber, it pays to sand the material first and coats it with wood conditioner. Some of the common problems that may occur if the wood is not well prepared to include having an uneven stain, dark spots, and messy results in general. Here is how to do it properly and attain the desired effect.

Step 1–Sand the Lumber

Sand the entire surface area of the lumber to make it smooth and prepare for staining. Make use of rough grade sandpaper at first to remove large bumps on the surfaces. Proceed with fine grade sandpaper to smooth it out. The sanded lumber should not have any rough edges or surfaces left on it. When working with pine wood or any other type of wood, it is best to sand the whole piece before using it in a woodworking project, that is unless the project does not require sanded pieces of wood.

Step 2–Clean the Sanded Lumber

Use a damp tack cloth or any piece of cloth and wipe the surfaces of the sanded lumber. This will remove dust and other debris, ensuring that the lumber does not have any bumps after the staining process. After cleaning the dust and dirt from the lumber, allow it to dry before proceeding.

Step 3–Use Wood Conditioner

Apply a wood conditioner as a pre-stain coating. Some types of wood such as white pine need to be conditioned first before being stained. The wood conditioner allows the lumber to be stained evenly by blocking the pores of the wood. Gently brush the wooden surface with an even coating of wood conditioner and allow it to dry. Make sure to read the instructions on the product so that the application of the wood conditioner is done properly.

Step 5–Prepare the Stain

Stir the stain in a container properly. For best results, remove any hardened stain or debris that may have been mixed in the product.

Step 6–Stain the Lumber

Start staining the white pine lumber with even strokes using a paintbrush. Move the brush in one direction to produce an even coating. Remember to apply stain on the entire surface of the lumber and never stain an area more than once. Note that staining any area twice makes the stain look twice as dark. For multiple stains, allow the first coating to dry thoroughly before proceeding with the next coating. Multiple coatings create darker stains that look classic. Check out the manufacturer’s instructions regarding multiple coatings to ensure that the wood is stained correctly.