Wood stains & wood care
Thanks to its natural character, warmth and versatility, wood is one of the most popular building materials. To keep it looking beautiful and in perfect condition over the long term, it needs special care. Our wood stains, wood oils and opaque wood coatings provide effective protection while preserving its breathability.
Wood stain, varnish, oil – which finish should I use for what?
Wood is a popular material today and is used both indoors and outdoors. Whether furniture, fences or privacy screens, the natural look and wood grain are real eye-catchers. Wood is robust, but still very sensitive to environmental influences and moisture. If you want to enjoy your garden furniture for a long time, you can’t avoid coating it with a wood stain. The transparent stain protects the wooden surface from the elements while showcasing the grain to great effect. If you wish, you can even paint the components in any color. Below we’ll show you everything you need to know about wood stains, the differences between wood varnish, wood oil and wood stains, and how to correctly apply wood protection.
What do I use ... for?
Wood varnish?
A wood varnish is an opaque coating that protects the wood from weathering and also makes it more hard-wearing. You can use it to protect the wood surface and at the same time give it a new look. Wood protection varnishes are available in numerous colors. In terms of surface finish, you can opt for a high-gloss look, for example. A distinction is made between solvent-based acrylic varnish, solvent-based synthetic resin varnish and environmentally friendly varnishes that are free from solvents, contain no harmful substances and do not produce an unpleasant odor. These are therefore ideal for indoor use. Weatherproof paints are used outdoors and also protect against UV radiation. The disadvantages of wood varnishes: they cover the natural grain of the wood, and weatherproof paint is not the right choice for every substrate.
What is the difference between silicate and dispersion paint?
Wood oils are intended for surface care and are not wood preservatives. Nevertheless, it is important to oil wood regularly. Over time, the raw material dries out and quickly loses its attractive appearance. The oils penetrate deep into the natural material, extend its service life and restore the desired wood look. They are used on garden furniture, terrace decking and indoor furniture. BAUFIX Wood Care Oil is just the right product for maintaining untreated hardwood garden furniture such as tables, chairs or benches, but is equally suitable for wooden decks and walkways. For teak in particular, we recommend BAUFIX Teak Care Oil.
Wood stain?
A wood stain is a transparent wood preservative that does not leave an opaque layer on the wood surface, but instead emphasizes the natural wood grain. The coating makes the wood resistant to weathering and significantly more robust. Wood stains are divided into thin-layer and thick-layer stains. The difference between the layers of the coating is that thin-layer stains penetrate the wood and protect it from within, while thick-layer stains form a thick coating on the surface. The first type of stain is suitable for non-dimensionally stable components, while the latter wood stains are the best choice for dimensionally stable components. The BAUFIX professional UV-Protect thick-layer stain is certified with the "Blue Angel" eco-label.
Info check: Dimensionally stable components are pieces of wood that must not change their shape, such as windows or doors. Non-dimensionally stable components, on the other hand, may change in volume, such as fences or cladding boards.
How do I choose the colour shade for the wood stain?
A wood stain can be opaque or transparent. If you want the wood grain to remain visible, choose a clear wood stain. If you want to change the appearance, use a wood paint for the coat. These are available in almost any color such as red, yellow or blue. Some colors still allow the grain to show through slightly.
Care and refreshing: When is the next coat of wood stain due?
In general, wood protection is very important outdoors. The coating protects the raw material, making it durable and resistant. A stain should be refreshed at regular intervals so that the protective function is maintained. How long a stain actually protects depends on the conditions to which the wood surface is exposed outdoors. Factors such as weather, type of wood, mechanical stress and color shade play a role, as darker colors generally last longer.
Therefore, ideally check the wood protection coating at regular intervals. According to experts, maintenance should be carried out at least once a year, including thorough cleaning of dirt and dust and a new coat with wood stain.
How do wood stains differ from one another?
Wood stains are divided into products for indoor and outdoor use, which are either chosen as thin-layer or thick-layer stains.
Differences: thick-layer stain or thin-layer stain?
Thin-layer stain is liquid and therefore penetrates deep into the wood. The stain protects the wood from the inside out and makes it more resistant. Thin-layer stain is ideal for outdoor use. As it contains solvents that evaporate strongly, this wood finish is not suitable for indoor use.
Thick-layer stain, on the other hand, is viscous and forms a film on the surface. It therefore penetrates hardly at all into the material, but the protective layer provides weather resistance outdoors and can also be used indoors.
Medium-layer stain is a compromise between the two variants. It penetrates deeper into the wood and creates a thinner coating.
Tip: Thin-layer stains need to be refreshed regularly with a new coat. Thick-layer stains only start to flake off after several years, but then require more effort to renew, as the coating first has to be removed.
white, glossy
Make sure that heavily used surfaces are coated with an appropriate varnish and not treated with a wood stain. Suitable for all wooden floors, for example, is BAUFIX Stair & Parquet Varnish, which provides a robust and hard-wearing surface indoors. To keep floors looking attractive for a long time, we recommend regular care with BAUFIX Stair & Parquet Care.
Now that you’ve found the right wood stain, you can start applying it. Below we’ll show you step by step how to use the stain correctly. You’ll need:
- the right wood stain for indoor or outdoor use
- painting tools such as a brush or roller, for example our BAUFIX paint roller set
- sandpaper: grit between 280 and 320
- protective sheeting, conveniently available in our BAUFIX masking set
- protective gloves
- turpentine if needed for cleaning the brushes
Step 1: Start by sanding down the wood surface. Use sandpaper with the appropriate grit. When sanding, always work in the direction of the wood grain, not against it. This protects the delicate wood fibers. Then clean the surface thoroughly and remove dust and dirt. Before applying the wood stain, the substrate must be dry, clean and free from grease.
Step 2: To protect yourself and your surroundings from paint splashes and dripping stain, cover everything with the protective sheeting and put on protective gloves.
Step 3: Now you can start working with the wood stain. Take a brush or roller, dip it into the stain and coat garden furniture, fences and the like evenly with the wood preservative stain or wood paint, if it already contains color pigments. If you want to use the painting tools again later, clean them immediately after painting with turpentine.
Step 4: Allow the wood stain to dry for a good 16 hours. For the best result, you can lightly sand the surfaces again and apply a second coat of stain.
There is a difference between a primer coat, an intermediate coat and a final coat. So before you apply a stain, it’s important to sand first to ensure better adhesion. You also create a smooth, even surface. It can be a good idea to apply a primer before staining. This can, for example, protect against mold and fungi, such as the BAUFIX wood protection primer. Priming is particularly recommended outdoors to ensure high weather resistance. If you sand, prime and stain, a clear varnish as the final step provides the finishing touch.
Do I have to sand wooden furniture before applying a wood stain? Should wood stain be applied with a brush or a roller?
To apply the wood stain correctly and to easily coat the layer of wood preservative stain, you will need suitable painting tools. For varnishing, use a brush with a wide handle. Depending on the size of the surface, use large brushes for full surfaces or choose a smaller version for fine detail work. Oils have the advantage that they can be applied easily with a cloth. There are special stain brushes for wood stains to ensure professional application. If you want to coat large surfaces, use a paint roller or choose a short-pile varnish roller right away. In any case, pay attention to the manufacturer’s instructions, which indicate which type of stain or similar the painting equipment is suitable for.
Our wood stain recommendations
If you want to protect your wood outdoors, we recommend, for example, the BAUFIX decorative long-term stain as a weather- and UV-resistant wood stain for all softwoods and hardwoods. If you want even more durability, then the BAUFIX PUR long-term stain is just right for you. Our natural range offers environmentally friendly options such as the BAUFIX natural weather protection wood gel, the BAUFIX natural decorative long-term stain and, especially for interiors, the BAUFIX interior wood stain. We also offer a wide range of special coatings such as our BAUFIX terrace & garden furniture stain. We’ll be happy to help you choose. That way, your wood always gets the best protection.