How To Paint Over Stain

Learning how to paint over stain is very simple. There are some steps that must be taken to ensure the stain does not bleed through the paint, but these steps are very simple. Once the stained wood has been painted there will be no hint that the wood had ever been stained. The following steps will show you exactly how to paint over stain and use the best product successfully for a beautiful long lasting finish that everyone will enjoy.

How To Successfully Paint Over Stain

Stain is made up of an oil base so when applied to wood there is oil products that are always on the wood that has soaked through the wood. This oil can cause the stain to bleed through any paint that is applied over top of it causing a yellowing and discoloration of the paint.Because of this the oil needs to be sealed in so it cannot bleed through anything. Ironically the products used to paint over stain and seal it in has an oil base itself. However the product is very useful in creating a barrier that seals any surface it is applied to. The product that needs to be applied is a stain killing primer. There are many products on the market. However, there are only a couple which work best.


Products Used To Paint Over Stain

The first of the products is a stain killing primer that is not oil based. This product may work for crayon markings and such, but these types of markings on a wall or wood do not work well for wood stain. This product does have a low odor as well as low VOC's ( volatile chemicals) compared to oil based products but for our purposes we really need to use an oil based product. There are two products that can be used, however only one can definitely insure the stain will never bleed through or discolor the final finish.

The first of these products is a fast drying stain killer, which is good if there is a polyurethane finish over top of the stained wood, but in reality the best type of product to use is a slow drying oil based stain killer. Unfortunately, the VOC's can be dangerous and this product once applied it must be left to dry for at least 24 hours. Caution must be used when using this product, a well ventilated room should used as well as properly disposing of any waste or rags. Wearing a charcoal mask to filter any harmful chemicals from getting into your system is extremely important. This product will definitely insure there will not be any bleeding or discoloration through the finish coat.


Paint Over Stain - Buying The Best Stain Killer

When you go to the supply store for your products you may ask the folks who work there how to paint over stain and they will lead you to the products needed to complete the job. But no matter what product they suggest you use an oil based stain killer, I cannot stress this enough, just explain to them you need a slow drying oil based primer, which comes in a couple of different brands. Some of the larger supply stores may have workers who are not professionals who work in the field, and know exactly what works and what does not. This can cause them to lead you to a product that may not work, such as a water based stain killer, just because it says it covers stains.


Paint Over Stain - Applying The Stain Killer

To get the job done now all you need to do is brush and roll the stain killer over the stain letting it dry for 24 hours then apply you finish coat of paint which can be a water based or oil based finish. Make sure you use a brush that is good for oil based products, any roller sleeve will work, then once done the brush can be cleaned with mineral spirits and the roller sleeve set out to dry so it can be thrown out. Any left over stain killer can be saved or disposed of properly according to your township rules as well as the mineral spirits used to clean up.

Now that you know how to paint over stain get going on your project! Good luck and drop a line in the comments to let me know how things turned out. Check this out if you liked this article and you want to know How To Paint Paneling