How to Stain Veneered Wood

Wood veneers are useful for livening up an old piece of furniture or adding aesthetic appeal to a home's wall fixtures. While veneer is relatively easy to glue and apply to surfaces, homeowners should take caution before staining veneered wood. The thin, paper-like consistency of wood veneers makes them show every misstep in the staining process, no matter how small. Veneered wood is real wood, so it stains just like you'd expect it to. You can use a regular stain purchased from your neighborhood hardware store. Depending on the type of wood your veneer is, different stains may work differently.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sandpaper with a triple digit grit rating
• Clean, dry rags
• Painter's tape
• Cotton swabs
• Foam brush
• Polyurethane
• A bristled paintbrush

1. Sand any rough edges by hand using sandpaper with a triple digit grit rating. Do not use an electric sander because this will eat through the thin veneer and leave bald spots. Sanding should be used sparingly on delicate wooden veneers. It is simply for minor touch ups.

2. Wipe down the surface with a clean, dry rag. This will remove any dust left over from sanding.

3. Use painter's tape to protect any nearby items that may get dripped on.

4. Dip a cotton swab in your chosen stain. Use the cotton swab to apply the stain to a small corner of the veneer that is not easily noticed. The longer the stain sits on the wood, the deeper it will penetrate and the darker the color will be. Let the initial test stain stay for about 60 seconds then wipe it off with a dry rag. Do not use the same rag you used to dust the sanded surface.

5. Continue creating small test swatches, adjusting the stain's staying time in 10-second intervals until the desired color is obtained. This will let you get the timing right without ruining large sections of the veneer. Because veneer is so thin, you won't be able to sand down the wood.

6. Apply stain to the veneer using a foam brush. Application should be done gently, in 6-inch brush strokes. If you press too hard or overextend the stroke, you will end up applying too much stain and cause messy drips.

7. Wipe the stain off using a dry rag as soon as the stain's setting time is complete. Your wood will now be a beautiful new color. If you want to seal the wood or prefer a glossy look, apply polyurethane using a regular, bristled paintbrush and let it dry.