You are all set to begin with your DIY project for wood finishing! Read on these guidelines to help you with the proper selection of wood finish for the results you want.
Decide on such issues as to how the wooden product will be used? Whether it will be exposed to water, moisture or other such elements? Do you want the wood finish to be transparent, semitransparent, or opaque?
Dependant on your requirements, buy the appropriate finish. For this, you need to know the basics of wood finishes. Clear finishes give transparent looks including varnish, polyurethane, lacquer, water-based and shellac. Opaque finishes are paints, which come in various colors.
Always see the information on the package label for additional assist in selecting the right finish. Look at the finished samples available at many stores to get an idea of what the finale will look like.
For exterior wood surfaces like siding and fascia boards, use a paint that is labeled for exterior use and preferably has a fungicide.
If you want to change the color of raw wood, use a wood stain. Wood stains also make inexpensive wood, such as pine, look more expensive (like cherry, cherry, or mahogany)
If you want a weatherproof finish such as for outdoor wood furniture, use wood stains made with sealers.
Give thick finishes to the furniture in high-moisture or high-traffic areas. Examples of such furniture include your outdoor furniture or living room furniture. To get a thicker finish, go for wood varnish, polyurethane, lacquer, water-based finishes, shellac or paint. These can be applied in several layers on the wood surface. Oil finishes cannot build up layers and leave the wood surface more natural-looking.
To bring out the wonder and the grain in wood, use oil finishes. They work more efficiently on hardwoods such as red cherry, maple, cherry, and walnut.
Use linseed oil finish only on interior projects and for restoring wood furniture with an existing linseed finish. You will find both- regular and boiled linseed oil. Use boiled linseed oil if you want shorter drying out time maintaining wood floors.
If you are finishing a wooden craft that is not finished previously, you can use either danish or teak oils. Danish oil has fairly low luster than teak oil.
For non-toxic wood finish, like for butcher shop blocks or wooden toys, use nutrient oil.
Whatever finish you choose, remember wooden finishes protect your wooden crafts and furniture apart from making them look good. So, give a finish that is appropriate to the wood surface and make them stay with you forever.
