home sectionhome sectionWhen installing wooden cabinetry, the type of wood you use is a chief consideration, decoratively and practically. Both birch and hickory are popular options, two hardwoods that are up to the heavy use that cabinets must endure. As both types of wood are sufficiently durable to withstand heavy use, your primary decision is an aesthetic one.
True mahogany wood needs nothing more than a clear coat to bring out its red-brown color and golden undertones. In home decor, mahogany is used for furniture, cabinetry, woodwork and trim. By choosing carpet that complements the wood, you can emphasize mahogany’s warm, rich color and enhance its natural beauty.
Design your own library to suit the existing color scheme in your home or to act as a colorful focal point. Whether you choose a color already present in your home's design scheme or a new color altogether, options are available to suit and decor. Keep in mind the colorful nature of books when designing your shelving, and expect a myriad of colors to end up on the shelves.
Redwood, with its warm golden-red hues, is highly desirable in outdoor deck and furniture construction. Categorized as a softwood because it comes from a coniferous tree, redwood contains a high amount of resin, making it naturally resistant to moisture and insect damage. When sanded and sealed, redwood lasts for years. To protect the beauty and lifespan of your redwood deck, make repairs promptly. Filling holes in your deck will keep it looking new.
Decorators and homeowners inspired by Tuscany's simple, rustic charm can add Tuscan elements to almost any home. Furniture styles may vary somewhat, but they usually have a few things in common -- namely, warm, dark colors, hefty proportions and sturdy metal accessories. Select a shade that appeals to you or buy several pieces in slightly different shades.
From rich cherry hues to deep chocolate shades, stained wood adds beauty and a sense of interest to your home decor. Whether you are looking for a wall color to accent a stained wood floor or the perfect paint to match your cabinetry, the color palette you choose can make or break your room's visual aesthetic.
Choosing wood for your kitchen cabinetry is an important decision for any homeowner to make. Cabinets are often the largest visual feature in a kitchen, so the wood used will vastly impact the style and look of the kitchen. Choosing between two good materials such as maple and alder requires weighing several factors, including price and durability.
Pine and oak are two of the most commonly found types of wood. Oak is a hardwood that is much more expensive than pine. It comes in various size pieces with different thicknesses. If you are using pine or oak for trim, it is necessary to stain them. This will not only protect the wood, but give it a finished look as well. If you have pine wood and want to stain it so it looks like oak, you can do so by adding a few extra coats to darken it up.
Food coloring contains very strong pigments that soak deep into your wood cabinets, where they can be tough to remove. If you catch the food dye stain early, you can remove it before it soaks too far into the wood. If not, you’ll need to use tough cleaners that will pull the stain from the wood and remove it. However, you may not be able to remove all food coloring stains.
If your floor stain is mottled and uneven, either because it was done wrong in the first place or because it has discolored over the years, the proper way to fix it is to restain the floor. To do this, you must first sand down the wood to get rid of the old stain. A drum sander is the most efficient way of doing this. Follow all instructions carefully, as misuse of a drum sander can ruin the floor.
Veneer is a thin layer of fine wood that can be attached to a base of coarser wood, such as particleboard, or other material, using either heat-activated resins or a cold-pressing technique. The thickness of a veneer is between one-fiftieth and one-twenty-fifth of an inch (0.51 to 1.0 millimeters), according to the Composite Panel Association. Beech veneer is a veneer made using the wood of the beech tree.
Wood stain comes in a variety of colors. Even with all the varieties available, you still may not be able to find the stain color you want to use. Making wood stain color is a relatively simple process that requires combining only a few basic chemicals in a simple manner. The chemicals you use to make your own stain are safe to handle and easy to use. Dark and light stains can be made using this basic method.
Staining your hardwood is an important step on the path to creating the floors you want for your home. Choosing the right color for your stain is only one small part of this. It's important to apply the stain evenly to achieve the most professional-looking results. This is especially true when staining lighter woods like oak, because lighter colors more easily reveal surface imperfections. Evening out the stain requires the correct materials handled the right way.
Most hardwood flooring is given a protective finish intended to provide a seal against moisture and to give the surface more durability. While the finish might alter the wood’s color, it doesn’t typically darken it significantly. If you’re not happy with the color of your wood, you can stain it darker, but there are several factors to consider first.
Wood railings can look beautiful when first installed only to fade or splinter later. Staining railings can help prevent future damage, but you need to use the right stain for the wood to get the most successful end results. Staining isn't just for the outdoor wood railings in your landscape; staining products can also be used on indoor stair railings and upper floor balcony railings.
Few things are more relaxing than sitting on a deck, enjoying the cool summer breeze and taking a few minutes to oneself, but before the enjoyment of a deck can begin, the deck needs to be built. When building a deck, there are a number of woods to choose from, including mahogany and fir woods. When choosing between the two, you'll need to take several things into consideration.
Finding a match to existing wood stain can be tough. Many things affect the way that stain tints wood. Different species or even cuts of wood have wildly different grains, cell structure and absorption rates. Two of the same batches of stain can look significantly different when applied to two different types of wood. When trying to find a match, the best you can do is to find an approximate match and then use a little trial and error and a lot of patience to find the best match.
Instead of replacing your old inset kitchen cupboards when remodeling, replace the worn, outdated or damaged insets with something new. Stain or paint the rest of the solid cabinets, and choose a material that complements your interior design choices. Whether your decor tastes are contemporary or traditional, the insets can showcase your personality.
Plants that thrive in acidic soils such as rhododendrons, azaleas and gardenias will benefit from the use of apple-cider vinegar as fertilizer. Acid-loving plants need soil with a pH level of 4.0 to 5.0 to thrive. The pH, or level of acid and alkaline in the soil, is important, as it determines the amount of hydrogen the plants will receive. You can increase the acidity in soil and fertilize plants with apple-cider vinegar in your garden and feed cut flowers to keep them fresh longer.
Alder and maple are both light-colored deciduous hardwoods used for furniture making and many other projects. Maple is originally native to North America, while alder species are native to North America, Europe and western Asia. Each wood has its own benefits and disadvantages and works best for particular uses. Choosing the right wood for your woodworking project can help make it more successful.
Gradient paint is when two or more colors of paint in similar shades are blended together seamlessly, giving the appearance that one color fades into another. Whether you're painting gradient colors on the walls of your home, on canvas or on craft projects, the process is similar. Choose colors that are harmonious, meaning within three spaces of each other on the color wheel. Gradient techniques on colors that are not harmonious turn muddy in appearance.
Distressed wood has become en vogue in many decorating projects. While many designers prefer to find old wood and repurpose it into new pieces, you may not always have this luxury. However, it is possible to take a new piece of wood and manually distress it, adding years to its finish and making it look authentic. The fun part about this project is that flaws are actually assets, and you don't have to worry about perfection.
Wood stain differs from wood paint in that it colors or waterproofs the wood without obscuring the grain. Wood stains come in two varieties: dye stains and pigment stains. Understanding the different characteristics of each wood stain can help you select the one that is right for your home improvement project.
To refinish or repair is a decision we all must make to keep furniture looking good. Refinishing furniture is an option if the stain on a piece of furniture is flaking and cracking or is blemished after cleaning. However, if the finish has water stains, waxy build-up, or has worn areas, then repair is best, generally with a good cleaning or with a little touching up of the stain in worn areas.
Wood likely makes up the majority of your indoor and outdoor furniture around your home, and when you choose a product, you want to ensure that you get a type of wood that will last. The beauty of wood is only one indication of its quality. You must also consider its weight, strength and durability to know if it will last you a lifetime or be just a waste of money.
You're not stuck with the color of the unfinished wood on your new cabinets. Wood stain is a transparent solvent, with added pigment, that can change the color of the wood. You can stain inexpensive soft woods, such as pine, to resemble the color of more expensive hardwoods, such as cherry, oak or walnut. Wood stain comes in a variety of natural wood tones to choose from, so you can create a custom look that complements your décor.
Wood stain, when applied properly to wood, generally gives a long-lasting, durable finish. You may want to remove this stain, however, if you are unsatisfied with the aesthetics or consider it so old and faded that it needs to be completely removed in order to apply a new finish. Removing wood stain takes time, effort and care, but by following the correct procedure is relatively simple.
Cuprinol is a company that specializes in cover treating wooden garden structures such as fences, sheds, decks, furniture and gazebos. Cuprinol has 23 different shades to choose from, so you can match the color of the structure to your own tastes and design style. The Cuprinol fence sprayer is designed for a one-coat application and allows you to reach all areas of the fence without the need for a brush.
Preserving cedar boards for indoor use will block moisture from penetrating the wood grains while also giving the wood a protective layer from damage and stains. Cedar wood has a rich natural color that you would lose if it were sealed with a colored stain or a layer of paint. A oil wood finish, like linseed oil, tung oil or Danish oil will protect cedar boards from damage while preserving and protecting the natural color. Use a clear oil finish to preserve the natural color of the wood or select one that has some color, if you want to darken…
You may have a piece of furniture that you adore. But perhaps the color does not suit you as well as it did at the time of purchase. You may have made a change to room decor that requires changing the color of your wood furniture. Or you may have purchased unstained, unfinished wood chairs or tables, as a blank slate for your creative spirit. In any case, changing the color of wood is a step-by-step process.
If you are constructing a piece of furniture out of wood or putting together a wood deck, it is helpful to seal and treat the wood with a wood stain. If you already have a can of stain but want to use a stain that is darker or a different color, you can change the color of your stain by adding a universal colorant.
Apple cider vinegar can be used to clean almost anything in your house. Consider using it to mop floors, clean bathrooms, clean glass, clean tile, wipe off counters and disinfect. Using apple cider vinegar as your main cleaning product will save you money on cleaning supplies and will also allow you to clean and disinfect your home with a natural product as opposed to harsh chemicals. Apple cider vinegar can also be used as a health and beauty product for calming itchy skin and as a hair rinse.
Sometimes homeowners inherit cabinets or wood trim with a style that is not exactly their cup of tea. The stain on the existing wood may be too dark or too light for their tastes and decorating style. It is less expensive to refinish wood pieces than to purchase new ones. However, if you are unsure what type of finish was used on the wood before, it is not a good idea to simply apply a different stain over the top, even if you only want to darken the color. Remove the existing finish before re-staining your wood pieces for a…
Flooring in a home is an important investment because the continual wear and tear, dirt build-up and frequent daily use can make new floors look old and dingy in a short amount of time. Unsurprisingly, the color of the wood flooring that you choose can have an impact on the appearance of dust and dirt. Generally, light colored wood floors tend to hide dust better than dark wood floors.
Cedar posts are often used in higher-quality fences around pastures or gardens. Cedar is an exceptional wood because it is both sturdy and appealing to the senses. Though it can be slightly more expensive, cedar has greater longevity in just about any project that it is used in. However, like any other wood, cedar can be worn down by the elements. Knowing how to treat cedar can help you get the most out of your cedar posts.
Baltic birch, or Russian birch as it is also known, hails from the Baltic region of Europe, and is the preferred lumber for the manufacture of plywood, furniture components, moldings, flooring and a multitude of specialty products, such as drawer boxes. The wood is extremely light in color, possesses a fine grain and uniformly takes any color of stain.
Wood stain is generally considered the best way to change the color of wood while maintaining its natural look. Unlike painting, staining highlights the natural grain of the wood and allows its inherent beauty to shine through. Stain can color any type of wood darker, but if you applied that beautiful maple color, finished your project and discovered that it's darker than you imagined, a simple staining will not lighten the color. Instead, you need to bleach the wood once the stain has dried to lighten the wood's appearance.
When you're building furniture, staining it is usually the last thing you do. If you choose the wrong color for the stain, you could be dissatisfied with that piece of furniture for as long as you own it. This is why the process of selecting the right stain should be carried out as painstakingly as the rest of the furniture-building process. Choosing the correct stain can also be important for wood floors and decks.
Staining wood preserves the life of your furniture, deck, siding or doors and enhances their appeal. Wood stains are widely available in a variety of textures and colors, and are relatively inexpensive. They can easily be applied to wood furniture with a paintbrush. If you can't find the exact color you're looking for, you can purchase two colors and mix them together. Mixing wood stain is a simple process that even a first-time stainer can complete.
When you have wood to stain that is a different species from the rest of the colored wood, it can make it difficult to match the color of the rest of the wood. When this happens you'll need to blend your own stain to match the rest of the wood. Hardware stores do not typically have very dark espresso colors available, so you can also use this process to blend your own if you're simply not happy with the preblended stain colors that you're finding.
Strong and durable, birch is a heavy, shock-resistant hardwood. It is used to make dozens of everyday items and can even become a low-cost stand-in for other woods.
A new coat of stain applied to outdoor pieces breathes new life into the wood. Exterior stain colors are suitable for decks, shelves used in the garden, outdoor patio tables and many more items. Use the stains on items you buy used from flea markets and yard sales or on items you already own. Strip any old paint or stain from the wood first as any left behind can give the piece an uneven or sloppy look.
When you are designing the look of your home, choose the wood stain that will best complement your design. Wood stains are used to bring out a deeper color in natural wood, and choosing the right stains in your home enhance the effect you are trying to achieve. Choose the wood stain that best complements your decorating style.
Wood floors add to your home's value because they're durable, timeless and easily cleaned. Maximize that value by choosing a wood floor stain color that matches your home's other wood tones and architectural details. Also look at other factors when choosing a wood floor stain color, such as the amount and type of lighting in your room and your furniture's wood color.
How and when a sanding sealer should be used can confuse experienced woodworkers and do-it-yourselfers alike. As one woodworking authority writing on the Rockler Buzzsaw website noted, the problem may arise because two somewhat different products bear the name "sanding sealer." Dewaxed shellac sanding sealers work primarily to seal raw wood. They often will not take other coatings over them. Lacquer and acrylic waterborne sanding sealers, condition wood in a variety of ways and work very well as an intermediate coat between two incompatible finishes.
Considered to be cancer to buildings, dry rot is an infestation of fungi due to a high moisture concentration on or around wood that destroys the structural integrity of the timber. The best prevention against dry rot is to keep areas dry with low humidity through adequate ventilation or dehumidifiers. When dry rot does occur, repairs and repainting can be done if it is a very small area effected, but if a large area has been damaged by dry rot, it is recommended to have a professional assess the scope of the damage and replace the rotted lumber.
A plain white wall or an unfinished piece of wood is a blank canvas to decorate any way you see fit. There are multiple painting methods you can use to transform a room or a piece of furniture into your own masterpiece. Knowing a few different painting and wood staining methods will help you decide which technique is right for you.
Western Red Cedar and Northern White Cedar are popular for their rich color, strength, and natural resistance to weather. Both woods are highly prized by homeowners for fences as well as indoor and outdoor furniture. Left unfinished, cedar is a strong, stable wood, retaining its shape for years in the outdoors, resisting a natural tendency toward cracking and warping to which most other woods are susceptible. However, to retain cedar's rich natural color a preservative is required, either a stain or a wood sealer.
The bright light in your sun porch is good for you, but it can be bad for the floor. UV rays will fade the colors of linoleum and vinyl, and wood surfaces don't fare much better under direct sunlight. Stains fade and wood coated with a clear finish eventually begins to deteriorate. If the subfloor isn't moisture-proof, you have an extra problem, because moisture weakens tile adhesives and causes wood to cup and separate.
Exotic or rare woods can present very uncommon colors, ranging from the dark purple of the African blackwood to the golden-yellow of the bocote. Unusual bright colors and grain patterns are often used as a highlight in the furniture industry, or in building whole pieces of furniture and other objects.
Use stains to seal and polish natural wood furniture and floors. A stain helps preserve the visibility of the wood grain while adding shine and a richness of color to the surface. Dark wood stains have a high level of opacity, allowing minimal light to pass through the surface and resulting in a dark stain on the wood grain. Woods stained with a dark color just barely reveal the wood grain behind the stain.
Birch and maple are both hardwoods with uneven densities that may cause any applied liquid stain to blotch. Both are similarly ideal for crafting furniture, and have been incorporated into many styles and types of furniture.
The Cabot company was originally formed in 1877 by American chemist Samuel Cabot. Today, the company produces hundreds of products for interior and exterior wood, include surface preparation, color staining and sealing or finishing products. Cabot offers a variety of types of colors, as well as color choices, to enable customers to match the wood stain to their ideal circumstances.
Distressed wood furnishings and fixtures never seem to go out of style. A distressed wood look brings an antique element to household accent pieces or wood panels and trim, giving it a soft, rustic appeal. With a few tools, special paints and shellacs, you can create the rustic look on any wood material that you like.
Deciding on the outdoor project is easy compared to figuring out which type of stain will produce the desired look to complete the project. Stains that are applied correctly have the ability to produce a flat finish that enhances the wood's natural beauty. Exterior stains come in semitransparent and solid-color forms with a variety of bases to select from.
Apple cider vinegar is a handy household tool---in addition to making snappy vinaigrettes and marinades, it has a surprising number of uses when it comes to beauty, gardening and cleaning the house. Its effects are largely beneficial in food preparation, thanks to its light, tangy zing. Because of its acidity, it can have a beneficial effect on soil with a high pH. One negative effect to watch out for, however, is in surface cleaning; because of its golden brown color, it can stain porous countertops; these are best cleaned with plain white distilled vinegar.
The quaking aspen has the scientific name Populus tremuloides, which refers to the trembling aspect of the leaves in any sort of breeze. The quaking aspen has the widest geographical distribution of any tree in North America, according to the "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Trees."
Though included among the various types of hardwood trees, alder exhibits its own unique characteristics that make it best suited for certain functions. From carpentry to outdoor cooking, alder wood is a much sought-after material.
Oak wood comes either in a variety of colors that can be finished to display the natural patterns and colors of the lumber or can be stained in a variety of colors to enhance the grain or match other furniture.
Also referred to as wood siding, wood cladding is the wood material utilized to finish the exterior of a structure. It is often applied over the basic structure and other weatherproof materials. In addition to appearance, cladding serves as structural reinforcement.
Stair banister refinishing can help revitalize a stairway and restore a banister to its formal glory. Due to the high amount on detail of many banisters, removing the old finish and stain may be very difficult and may require the use of several different detailing tools. Performing this project will be sure to improve the look of the banister and offer an opportunity to change the color of the wood's stain to match other updates that have been made to the house.
Lovers of the gently themed Hummel figurines looking for a way to get their collection out of the closet and into the limelight to enjoy should look to past when it comes to display. The figurines began production in the 1930s when Franz Goebel was inspired by the drawings of German nun Maria Innocentia Hummel. The collectible figurines depict children doing everyday tasks to angels, saints and Christmas displays. Honor the history of the figurines when choosing your display.
Birch wood is a commonly available hardwood and it is used to make a wide variety of commercially available products. Birch trees grow all over the world.
Designers and decorators use accessories to visually tie a room together. Pulling colors from fabrics, rug patterns and window treatments gives the designer a place to begin choosing colors for accessories like wood picture frames, mirror frames and shadow boxes to frame collectibles and objects. Variety in frame shape and size can add to visual interest and depth when installed in groups along walls or as a focal point over a special table or bureau.
You can use common household items to remove dye stains on wood tables and other furniture. Commercial cleaning products also can remove dye stains caused by colored paper, streamers and hair dye. Test the cleaning method on an inconspicuous place on the table to make sure it won't discolor or damage the wood more. In the event of wood fading, you can revive the table surface with special products that help conceal damaged or faded areas.
Dark cabinets with rich, deep colors can blend beautifully with the décor of almost any kitchen or bathroom. Cabinets made out of maple, however, are prone to splotching because of the wood's consistency. Maple cabinets will require more than staining to darken their color.
Travertine is becoming an increasingly popular building material. It can be used in bathrooms, kitchens and as flooring throughout a home. The natural stone is porous and can be purchased filled or unfilled. The filled type has grout that fills natural holes in the stone. The unfilled is left in the original state to suggest a rustic or worn look. It is not suggested that Travertine stone be stained, but it can be done.
A kitchen remodel can not only add thousands of dollars of value to your home, but it can also rejuvenate the room. Because the kitchen is one of the rooms that people tend to congregate in, it can be beneficial to spruce it up every once in a while. One of the easiest ways to change the look of your kitchen is to add a color stain to your wood countertops. This is an easy project that you can do yourself in an afternoon.
Redwood siding provides a home with a clean, durable exterior that is naturally resistant to different types of fungi, insects and rot. The siding is lightweight, easy to install and requires very little maintenance. The biggest concerns in caring for your redwood siding are the sources of discoloration that can ruin the wood's rich color. If you work quickly when you notice stains, you can easily clear up siding without any long-term damage.
Wood-glazing is an effective method for giving a piece of furniture an aged look, or for making your furniture piece look like a more heavily grained wood. Glazing is not difficult to do. You only have to place a layer of color between coats of finish, and you can obtain this look with several techniques.
Worn or outdated cupboards detract from a room as a whole. Replacing cupboards requires a significant monetary investment upfront. While the rewards are numerous, many families do not have a large sum of money to invest in the project. Simple renovations to current cupboards breathe new life into a room while saving on the budget. The renovations work well together or individually, depending on personal style and the overall budget.
Over the ages, wooden fences have served a three-fold purpose. They have kept out the unwanted drifters, they have contained the horses and cattle, and they have provided for an aesthetically pleasing landscape decoration. The problem is that wooden fences are exposed to the elements of nature, such as rain, snow and sun, and they require a certain amount of maintenance to keep them in good shape. If you wish for your fence to have longevity, then you must stain and seal the wood for protection. When staining and sealing a wooden fence, there are many different things to consider.…
The bathroom can be a hard place to update if you don't want to get into dirty work like retiling the shower! However, updating the vanity can make a huge difference in the look and feel of the room. Here are some steps to a spruced-up vanity.
When you're choosing stain for wood floors or any wood project, a color chart is a good place to start. Not only does the color chart provide a clear definition of the stain options available, but it also often outlines key information about the stain itself, including whether the stain is clear or semi-transparent, which helps narrow your choices.
Wood glaze is a substance that is used to enhance wood surfaces in flooring, furniture and wall fixtures. Glazing different wood pieces can add beauty to your home and can also prolong the life of some of your more delicate wood fixtures.
If you want to lighten a dark piece of wood, there are several ways to do so depending upon how dark the wood is, how light you wish the wood to be and if it has been previously stained or painted. The following steps will show you how to lighten the color of wood.
To prime or not to prime, that is the question. Do-it-yourself homeowners often get confused as to whether primer is necessary when painting. Primer serves very specific purposes that can enhance the durability of both the painted surface and the paint. Use these steps to know when to use primer.
