How to Stain Furniture

Choose a stain

You have four general options for staining furniture, each with certain benefits:

• Water-based stain: This kind is beginner-friendly because it cleans up easily with water, dries in two to four hours and creates fewer fumes. Consider this for low-traffic pieces (i.e., things that won’t be touched a lot).
• Oil-based stain: Best for high-traffic areas, like table tops and cabinet fronts, because it offers thicker, stronger coverage. It requires mineral spirits for clean-up and takes four to six hours to dry.
• Oil-based gel stain: This is an intensely pigmented stain, recommended for hard-to-stain woods like maple, poplar and veneers. Requires mineral spirits for clean-up and six to eight hours of dry time.
• Hard wax oil stain: A new, slightly higher-priced stain that allows the wood to more fully absorb the finish in just one coat, with no topcoat required. Kreps swears by it, Rubio Monocoat in particular. It’s best on finer woods like walnut and mahogany to let the natural beauty of the wood show through. Mineral spirits clean-up with a 24-hour dry time.