In order to make an informed decision, you need to know what will happen if you choose to seal your stain or not. Should you be sealing your wood before you stain, or after? Stains do a great job of highlighting the natural beauty of the wood grain. Most clear finishes are available in gloss, semi-gloss and satin sheens. for example a table top, desk top, or sides of a piece, etc. The higher the number, the finer the grade. If all you want to do is stain the wood and leave it at that. Select a stain that won’t raise the grain of the wood or you’ll have to sand the floor after applying the finish. I receive Commissions for Purchases Made Through the Links in This Post. When it comes to sealing your project, there are also some good and bad things that come from that decision. Open and stir your polyurethane then brush a coat on. Whether you choose to stain your wood project or not, it is important that you protect the wood with a clear finish, such as polyurethane. Stains do a great job of highlighting the natural beauty of the wood grain. The positives of using a sealer on your woodworking projects is that there will be an additional layer of protection on the piece. Open and stir your polyurethane then brush a coat on. Your color would look a little different, but that might be OK for you. Basically, conditioner will stabilize the wood to allow stain to penetrate more evenly. The wood grain is so open that in one coat you should be able to get the look you want. 3. In reality, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to when to comes to your projects. Follow the directions and warnings from your particular brand. The polyurethane with smooth it out further as you apply additional coats. For example, in order to see the actual color that the stain was meant to look like, he needs to have a clear coat over the top. The right stain can be a stunning, simple, design addition to your exterior space. The wood conditioner will not hurt anything but can only help. Removing all dried up and oozing sap is a must, especially when dealing with woods such as fir or pine. Unless your cabinets are raw wood, the existing finish must be removed before you can apply the new stain coat. First, let’s talk about how sanding can affect wood when you do it between coats of stain or right before a coat of stain. Here are the pros and cons of leaving your stain coat as it is without any sealer. If you’re applying gel stain to previously stained wood, you probably do not need to use pre-stain wood conditioner. Then add another topcoat of varnish. If you’ve just put in a new deck, you’re no doubt itching to finish the job by sealing it. Follow the grain of the wood. //