Save a few bucks in the staining process

I'm not talking about saving enough money to go on an extended vacation to the islands. The type of money that I'm talking about are bleacher tickets and a couple of hot dogs for the kids type of money. (Nothing to smirk about if you've been to a ball park lately.)

Well, here's how you do it. You purchase unfinished furniture and you stain and seal it yourself. I'm serious: you can save some serious coin if you purchase a armoire made out of oak and, instead of picking a piece that is already finished, buy it unfinished and save a lot of money.

Shari Hiller, my big league buddy and colleague, and I try to use unfinished furniture when we are under tight budget constraints. By doing the work ourselves, we can sometimes save enough money to buy an extra item for a home, such as a small rug or lamp.

Doing the staining yourself does take some time and can be a little difficult if you have never attempted to do this project before.

There are a few important rules to staining unfinished furniture. The main thing is that different types of wood accept stain differently. Some woods, especially soft woods, will soak up stain like there's no tomorrow, while harder woods will not accept stain as easily.

While working on a home recently, the homeowner volunteered to help stain some pine furniture we had purchased. He found out the hard way that certain woods - especially soft woods like pine or poplar - are hard to stain without having it look splotchy. The wood fibers are so porous that the stain is absorbed unevenly. Fortunately for our homeowner, we caught it in time to save the piece. It was my fault that I hadn't warned him that softer woods can sometimes give you fits.

To know if the wood you are working with is a soft wood, press your thumbnail against a hidden part of the wood. If you make a dent, the wood is soft and probably needs sealing to help avoid an uneven stain color.

If it is a soft wood, you need to apply a sealer to the entire surface so that you will end up with a consistent stain coat. These sealers are sometimes called sanding sealers or pre-stain conditioners and are very easy to apply. And, since they are a clear, you can apply them without being concerned about brush marks. The sealer penetrates the grain of the wood to promote uniform acceptance of stain.

Before staining, apply the sealer to the surface of the board. Allow to penetrate for 5 to 15 minutes, then remove the excess with a clean, dry rag.

The reason the sealer is called a sanding sealer is that it will raise the grain of the wood. Once the sealer has cured, those wood whiskers can be sanded smooth, giving you a smooth surface before you apply the stain.

If you don't sand, the wood will seem dull and scratchy.

After the sealer has dried, lightly sand with a 220-grit sandpaper before applying the stain. The best way to apply the stain is by using a foam brush. Apply as quickly as you can, keeping a wet edge. Once you have stained the piece, go back with a soft rag and remove any excess.

The lighter the stain color, the faster you should remove the excess. The deeper the color, the longer you should leave the stain on the piece before removing the excess.

I have learned over the years to do a sample board of the color and the type of wood that the finish piece will be. That way you will know if it is necessary to use a sealer and also the length of time to leave the stain on before wiping off the excess.

That should eliminate the unevenness of the stain on soft woods. As with any do-it-yourself project, it's the preparation that makes a difference.

(Matt Fox and Shari Hiller alternate writing this column. They also co-host the Home & Garden Television show "Room By Room." For more on Matt Fox and Shari hiller, visit http://www.hgtv.com or http://www.mattandshari.com . Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)

SHNS