Many projects can be finished in clear coats or stained to take advantage of the natural wood grains rather than covering them with a uniform paint color.
You can take advantage of the natural wood grain patterns on the right project by using stain, which changes the hue without obscuring the natural grain. In fact, wood stain tends to accentuate the wood grain by creating contrast in the patterns created by the growth rings in the wood. The pigments soak in more in parts of the grain while not penetrating as much in other parts.
Clear coats such as lacquers, shellacs and polyurethanes do not change the color as much, but also accentuate the wood grain. Clear coats tend to provide varying degrees of tint depending on the product. Clear coats can also be applied over many types of stain to provide protection against water intrusion and to provide a change in sheen ranging from glossy to matte.
In order to consider stains and clear coats, the projects must be made of natural wood rather than a simulated wood grain. If you are using a stain, the project should be free of caulk and glue residue, which will either still be visible or repel the color tints in the stain and appear as problem areas. Projects that have previously been finished with a clear coat cannot be stained a new color. The cells in the wood are sealed and will not absorb the stain. Sanding would have to go very deep to get below all of the product penetration to make re-staining work.
If a natural wood stain project was made with veneers (a thin layer of real wood), sanding and new stain is not recommended because you could easily go through the veneer layer by sanding too much or too aggressively.
Feel free to ask us about the possibility of using stain and clear coats on your projects and we will advise with the possibilities, limitations, and recommendations. We have done many projects that preserve the natural wood grains resulting in beautiful, long lasting finishes. Call Mike 541-497-3804
