How to Stain Oak Furniture

Oak furniture has a pleasing warm tone, which can be tinted with stain.

Furniture stain allows you to add a tint to wooden furniture, as well as protection from the elements. Oak has an open wood grain, which means that it needs a filler before staining to achieve a totally smooth wood look. However, many people prefer to forgo the filler and leave the oak with a more natural grainy look. Almost anyone can stain oak furniture with a few simple supplies.

Things You'll Need

• Wood filler (optional)
• Wood sealer (recommended but optional)
• Wood finish
• Paintbrushes
• 120- and 220-grit sandpaper

Instructions

1. Sand the furniture to smooth it. First use 120-grit sandpaper, then 220-grit sandpaper.

2. Fill the wood grain if a smooth texture is desirable. Wood fillers make the wood surface completely smooth. Open-grained woods, such as oak, naturally have small open grains on their surfaces. Wood fillers fill in these tiny splits and create a smooth surface. For the most natural wood look, do not use a filler.

3. Paint a layer of wood sealer on the furniture, using a paintbrush. Although wood does not need a sealer to receive a stain, sealers help the wood absorb stains more evenly. For example, wood without sealer may absorb more stain along the cut ends of the wood, like along the edges of a park bench, and will have an uneven color after staining.

4. Paint a layer of wood stain on the furniture, using a paintbrush. Apply whichever type of stain seems best according to the directions on the stain packaging. The three main types of wood stains are oil-based stains, water-based stains and stain/finish combinations.

5. Paint a layer of wood finish over the stain with a paintbrush, unless the furniture has a layer of a stain/finish combination. Finish helps protect the wood against scratches and helps prevent the finish color from wearing off unevenly over time.

Tips & Warnings

• Some types of sealers, stains and finishes have strong and unhealthy fumes. Stain furniture in an area with good ventilation to prevent negative heath effects and lightheadedness.

References

• Lowe's: Refinish Wood Furniture
• Utah State University Extension: Sealing, Staining and Filling