Staining
Enhance the Beauty of Wood by Staining
Wood stain, commonly referred to as simply "stain", is a colored pigment or dye suspended in a solvent. In many ways it is very similar to house paint, and can often be found in among the house paints at a department store. However, rather than covering up the surface onto which it is brushed, stain is intended to be absorbed into natural wood, enhancing its natural color, bringing out the pattern of its grain, and increasing the wood's durability. Painting stain onto natural wood is called "staining".
Many common household products and parts made of wood are stained for durability and enhanced beauty. Decks, patios, and porches are often stained. Any object or architectural embellishment of natural wood - a support column, a stairway bannister, a house sign - could be stained for increased aesthetic appeal.
How Does Stain Work?
In the most basic terms, wood stain works by soaking into the fibers of the wood to which it is applied, changing the color and shine of the wood's natural markings. Stain is most valued for its capabilities as a preservative, allowing the wood to last longer than it ordinarily would under normal circumstances.
Take, for example, a personalized home sign cut from pine. Pine is a common and not terribly durable softwood of North American origin, typically used in construction. On its own, a home sign cut from natural pine would not last outdoors more than twelve to eighteen months. With a thick coat of darkening stain applied in several layers and a top layer or two of glossy varnish, this home sign could last more than three years with little to no maintenance.
Additionally, while pine is known for being vulnerable to insects and fungus after harvest, this stained home sign will be safe from both threats. Fungus can't penetrate the filmy layers created by the stain's solvent, and insects are repelled by the chemical scent and taste of wood stain.
Detecting Wood Stain by Appearance
To use the home sign example again, the home signs you see on websites have usually been stained, varnished, or painted. Most home sign manufacturers will point out the natural wood home signs, so you can expect that every wooden home sign not expressly described as "natural" has been treated somehow.
While all varities of wood stain perform the same basic function, there are many different kinds. Some are designed to obscure the natural markings of wood, and others are designed to enhance them. Some stain includes a coloring agent, a pigment or dye, intended to change the appearance of wood; some stains strive to make wood darker, and others try to preserve the light coloring of the wood's natural state.
Stained wood often has a slightly filmy look to it, thanks to the thin layer left by the stain's solvent. The pattern or grain of the wood will have a soft edge, as though it has been blended into the rest of the wood. The grain may also appear darker, especially around the center of the wood's natural markings. A personalized home sign with a glossy or shiny surface has probably been varnished.