You want to know how to apply stain to pine wood.

You’ve sanded, prepped, and conditioned your trim board — it’s time to start staining pine.

As far as stains for pine go, I use an oil-based penetrating stain. There are other options. Whatever you use, make sure you read the manufacturer’s directions on the can.

Stir it up

Crack open the can of stain and make sure it’s thoroughly mixed with a paint stick. You don’t want to see any streaks of color in the stain — it must be a uniform color throughout. Mix it up from top to bottom. I do this by stirring against the bottom of the can, then I raise the paint stick to the middle, and then finally I stir at the top. I repeat this until I think it’s mixed well.

If you’re going to be staining a large batch of wood, occasionally restir the can as you go to keep the solids from settling out.

Applicators

I’m fond of foam brushes for applying stain. Rags are messy, can take up too much stain, and sometimes the application can be streaky. Brushes work good but can be drippy, plus there’s cleanup involved. Foam brushes take up stain without too much drippage, apply it evenly, and best of all, they’re cheap and disposable.

It really comes down to personal preference since you’ll be wiping up the excess anyway.

For standard 2 1/4” casement (window) trim I like the 1” foam brushes. For 3 1/4” baseboard, I like the 1 1/2” variety. But above all, use what works for you and what you’re comfortable with.

How to stain pine wood

Dip your applicator of choice into the can and load it up. Brush or wipe the stain on evenly, but not so thick that you get drips. Just give the board a nice even coating. Work your way down the board, paying attention to hit the crevices and sides.

Make sure you keep working and keep a wet edge. Never stain part of the board and come back later. The overlapping stain will look darker.

To remove the excess stain, wipe it off with a clean, dry, cotton rag. Turn the rag over occasionally as it starts to get clogged up with stain. Make sure you get into the crevices and wipe those out; otherwise you’ll get an unsightly dark buildup of stain.

How to apply stain for a dark finish

Now, ideally you’ve done some practice and worked out how long the stain needs to sit. For a darker look, leave the stain on longer. With oil-based penetrating stains, you usually have about 15 minutes before it starts getting tacky and turning into a pain to wipe off.

For a lighter look just give it just a minute or two before you wipe.

Now, if the color isn’t quite as dark as you’d like, never fear. If you’ve only let it sit just a couple of minutes, brush some more on and let it sit longer.

If you’ve already let it sit for the maximum time possible, you can still go darker. Let the piece sit overnight to dry. The next day, I’ll wipe the board down with mineral spirits to slightly open the grain again. (Let the mineral spirits dry for 5-10 minutes.) And repeat the staining process.

Once you’re satisfied with the final color of your piece, move on to the last step — applying polyurethane.

I hope you’ve found this detailed guide on how to apply stain to pine wood useful. I’ve focused on pine wood as it’s a common wood type to use for trim molding and small projects, but the guide applies to any type of softwood.

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