Wood stains, also known as deck stains, are used to change or add color to a kind of wood, enhance the grain and dimensions and increase protection. Wood stains are analogous to paint and have the same three core components: a binder, pigment, and a solvent. There are multiple kinds of wood stains available in the market. Some have pigments, while others are dyes mixed in a solvent. As far as the solvents are concerned, they also come in considerable variety: shellac, varnish, polyurethane, and lacquer.

With all of that being said, it’s crucial to bear in mind that not every stain will suit every kind of wood or, in other words, there are certain stains in the market that only suit best to a particular class of wood. Thereby, only certain stains for pinewood actually result in a great finished product.

If you have floors, furniture, kitchen cabinetry, or other structures made of pinewood in the house, you need to be very careful while selecting the stain. The kind of stain that goes on to each surface will determine the scope of protection, appearance, and the final quality of your wooden object. The end quality is determined by the protective barrier added to your pinewood-belongings once the stain goes onto them. The stain helps the wooden surfaces resist water and scratches. Depending on whether the wood is used for exterior or interior structures, wood stains offer advanced protection against deteriorating environmental factors like mildew, mold, moisture, UV rays, and several others.

So, the next time you raid the market in search of the best stains for pinewood furniture and structures in your house, be sure to keep the protection aspect in mind.

Determinants Of The Best Stain For Pine Wood

Selecting and buying the most suitable deck stains for your pinewood structures is not a daily-routine trade, and you never get to know the ins and outs of it until you’re the decision-maker. If you’re a novice at this, you need to acquaint yourself with the critical factors you must consider while purchasing a stain for your pinewood property. Here is what you need to assess:

Color And Tones

This is one of the core factors to consider because stains are primarily about color. As far as pinewood is concerned, it comes in various kinds, each having a different color. While choosing the best stain for your pinewood furniture or exteriors, conceptualize the tone and hues of color you want to appear on the surface. For example, if you want to enhance the natural tones of your pinewood structure, using a semi-transparent stain will allow the natural wood grains and color to pop up nicely.

Further, it goes without saying that whether you’re buying deck stains for your indoor furniture or wooden exteriors, select the colors that match the property’s overall scheme best.  

Purpose And Application

Whenever you’re out to buy a wood stain, you must be clear on what your wooden structure needs and what the application will be for the wood project in question. The market offers various formulas that have different applications- understanding the details could become overwhelming if you’re a novice.

To make things easier, follow the rule of thumb, which is to always go for the least complex formulas and simple application methods like brushing. If you’re doing it for the first time and unsure of the process, then using a sprayer can result in the appearance of uneven surfaces. Hence, go for advanced application methods only if you’re an expert.

Transparency Or Opacity?

As mentioned before, you need to know the purpose of getting a wood stain. Informed pinewood structure owners use stains for different purposes. So, keep your final objective in mind. Ask yourself, do you want to hide and cover the surface of your structure completely? If your answered yes, then solid deck stains will be your target purchase. These stains provide enhanced protection for a longer duration by covering the wood grains.

Or, if you want only to enhance the natural craft and charm of your wooden structures, then a semi-transparent stain will be your best bet. These stains will allow your structure’s wood grains to pop up beautifully without compromising on protection by any means.

Budget Vs. Product

Before you go to the market in hopes of making a banging decision on getting deck stains, assess your budget and have some research on your end regarding the price points of each kind of stain. Many people often regret investing so much money on wood stains only to have them not last long on their pinewood furniture and other structures.

To avoid this particular situation, ask yourself what your budget is and what’s the cost of the stain you want? Take your time to sort the budget against your desired product to avoid making a wrong purchase of getting the formula that will not benefit you as much as you invested in it. Also, it’s never recommended to buy a sub-standard product to save some money because your wooden structures will be paying for that in the long run.

The gist of it all is to know your wooden structure and its quality well, do ample research on the products considering the wood you have and sort the budget/arrange money accordingly.

So, the above was all about the factors to consider before purchasing wood stains for your pinewood structures. As we’re here to crack all the ins and outs and other nitty-gritty things about wood stains, let’s also have a look at the various kinds of finishes that come in pinewood stains.

Formula Options For Pinewood

The market has pinewood stains available in the following finishes:

Oil

These stains are formulated in oil and are most commonly used, particularly for pine, due to the exceptional ease of application they offer. Moreover, they absorb really well into the wooden surface.

Gel

Gel-based stains are compact and have a non-runny consistency, making them the most convenient formula to handle and apply to your pinewood structures. Safe to say, these stains are the best option for beginners.

Varnish

Varnish stains are very tricky to work with and are usually applied to the hidden areas of the furniture. When you’re working with these stains, you need to be extremely careful because if one thing or the other goes wrong with varnish stains, the final look of your wooden surface and structures will appear poor and distasteful in quality. Please don’t put your hands into it unless you’re a pro.

Sealer

As far as the sealers go, they are a two-in-one product that serves as both sealer and stain.

Wiping

As the name suggests, these stains are applied in wiping motions. Before you choose wiping-stains for your pinewood structure, be sure of the color you exactly want to appear in the final look. The application requires multiple coats of stain to achieve the desired tones.

Now that you know the kinds of various formulas and finishes available for pinewood stains and the elements you need to assess before making a purchase decision, all you must do now is do some homework. Consider all things together, the quality and kind of pinewood your structures are made with, the purpose of stain application (enhanced appearance or quality, etc.), the desired result and the finish, and lastly, how much you’re willing to pay.

When you’re done with research and assessments at your end, based on all the information above, it will be easier for you to choose the most suitable stain for your pinewood furniture and structures from the list of the nine best stains below.

9 Best Pinewood Stains Out There

Based on brand performance, formulation, quality, and customer preference, here is a list of the nine best stains for pinewood available in the market:

1. Varathane Premium Wood Stain

If you want to pick your best bet for pine stains, then this formula is what you need. This stain is formulated with Soya oil and is a premium quality wood stain. The composition of these stains is exceptional and allows it to penetrate the wood deeply, delivering a brighter color with high-grade, synthetic pigments.

As far as cleaning these stains is concerned, you need to have a mineral-based spirit. Potential substitutes for cleaning the formula can be a paint thinner.

Top Traits

• This formula accentuates grains of wood and enhances natural beauty.
• The stain gives a vibrant, natural tone and looks to your pine cabinetry, furniture, floors, doors, and paneling.
• By virtue of its luxurious soya oil formula, it offers excellent penetration.
• The formula takes about an hour or two to dry up.

Pros

• It enhances the appearance of pinewood grains.
• You can use it for multiple interior surfaces.
• It offers a quick dry time, which adds to the convenience.

Cons

• Low temperature can slow down the drying and take longer than it should.

2. Varathane Fast Dry Wood Stain

This product stands as the best stain for pinewood structures due to its amazing ability to accentuate the charm and appeal of natural wood. This stain is a pro-grade, high-duty product consisting of nano-pigments that enhance and sharpen the color visibility. This high color clarity pops up and highlights the wood grain, delivering the desired color shade with only a single coat.

The base formula is a bit different from the former and is unique, allowing a super-fast dry time at the time of sealing.

Top Traits

• This stain is a great option for all interior wood structures like furniture, trims, floor, cabinets, etc.
• The formula is extremely time efficient.
• It gives the perfect shade in just one coat.
• It dries quickly, within an hour.
• These stains work without a wood conditioner.

Pros

• It offers fast dry time.
• One coat is enough. Hence the product lasts for a long time.
• The product offers total coverage.

Cons

• It isn’t easy to sand.

3. Minwax Wood Finish Penetrating Stain

This stain is formulated in oil and blesses your wooden structures with a durable, beautiful wood color shade. It is another fine, highly applauded, and demanded wood stain and is considered among the best for its outstanding performance. The food finish that comes with this stain brings excellent penetration properties that help seal and secure wood pores and grains.

Another fantastic fact about this product is its large variety of available colors. The product comes in 28 beautiful wood-tone colors that help cover up and beautify damaged and scraped wood patches. If you’re looking for the best stain for semi-finished wood structures like doors, furniture, cabinetry, and hardwood floors, Minwax Wood Finish Penetrating Stain will be the best choice.

Top Traits

• It’s considered America’s top product for wood finishing.
• It’s best for improving stripped surfaces and beautifying bare wood space.
• The grains are highlighted the best due to the stain’s strong penetration properties.
• It’s perfect for unfinished pinewood structures.

Pros

• The product range offers a large variety of colors.
• The product ensures durability.
• The protection offered by this product is excellent due to its high penetration property.

Cons

• Not a friendly product if applied by spraying.

4. Minwax Polyshades – Stain and Polyurethane

This is another exceptional product for staining pinewood structures. This stain’s stand-out feature is its ability to do its job over a polyurethane finished surface and change the color of finished wood. In other words, you don’t have to get rid of the previously applied polyurethane finish before using this stain.

Moreover, this stain is also excellent in accentuating your wood’s natural, beautiful look by enhancing wood grains. This product is among the best options for interior pinewood surfaces. If there’s a spillage on your wooden surface having this stain, you can clean it using mineral spirits.

Top Traits

• This variant is also available in a large color variety.
• The product beautifully accentuates the wood grain.
• It’s a highly time-efficient product.
• It’s an excellent option for interior structures.
• The product allows high flexibility in terms of color change as it can be used over a polyurethane finished surface.

Pros

• It allows easy maintenance using mineral spirits.
• The product offers many color options.
• The unique formula saves time and effort.

Cons

• The product’s consistency can be sticky, thick, and a bit hard to handle.

5. General Finishes New Pine Gel Stain

This stain is yet another excellent product and preferred by many pinewood structure owners. Its leading characteristic is its ease of use. Astonishingly, it’s a very comfortable product, even with the kinds of woods that are the toughest to stain, including aspen and pinewood. Further, the application of this stain is just as easy. All you need to do is take a foam brush or piece of cotton fabric and use it to wipe the stain on the wooden surface. Blemishes may appear during the application process, but you can remove them by using sandpaper without a lot of hassle. Moreover, this stain formula comes in a wide range of colors, allowing you room to make different choices.

Top Traits  

• These stains are highly user-friendly, and the application is easy too.
• The product gives a lustrous finish that looks appealing.
• It’s a heavy formula and is best when you don’t want very deep penetration. When a deeper penetration is required, an oil-based stain is the best option.
• The final look shows a nice and smooth finish on the wooden surface,

Pros

• The product allows a lot of flexibility in terms of color scheme.
• The application is incredibly convenient.
• Glides comfortably on woods that are hard to stain.

Cons

• Under low temperatures, the stain may too long to dry.

6. Ready Seal Pine Exterior Wood Stain

This is an oil-based stain that gives a semi-transparent finish to the pinewood and is arguably the best stain, for that matter. If you have time or other constraints, then considering this formula will serve you best. It’s that two-in-one product that acts as both stain and sealer and thereby delivers exceptional protection to your pinewood surfaces.

The consistency of the formula is thick, but don’t be deluded by that as it won’t hide the surface underneath. The semi-transparent finish achieved from this unique formula pops on the wood grain and amplifies the wood’s natural appeal.

Top Traits

• The final look is a semi-transparent finish which many pinewood structure owners love.
• This thick, semi-transparent offers water resistance.
• It’s easily applied no matter what the temperature is.
• The oil-based composition enables the stain to penetrate deep into the wooden surface and thereby offers excellent protection.
• This product is both a sealer and a stain, so you do not need a wood primer.
• The protective formula provides extra defense against UV rays from the sun.
• Its oil-derived formula also prevents mold growth and mildew from sitting on your pinewood structures.

Pros

• This stain has remarkable waterproofing properties.
• The formula comes in 9 beautiful colors, including mahogany, light oak, redwood, pecan, golden pine, dark walnut, mission brown, natural cedar, and burnt hickory. This wide color range allows you to add natural-looking hues and give it a vintage effect.

Cons

• You may need a larger quantity of this formula to get the work done as the coverage area is quite lower than that of other sealers in the market. You may want to stock several pints of this stain when you go out to buy.

7. Old Masters Gel Stain American Walnut Oil-Based

If you are looking for alternate stain options for your pinewood structures but also want the best, then this is what you need to get. Old Masters is an established brand widely known for making some of the best wood finishing formulas in the industry.

As far as the application is concerned, this product is known to be the best for convenience. All you need is a piece of cotton cloth or a brush. These stains can be used on various surfaces such as fiberglass and others. However, you need first to sand the surface and clean it if you’re using this formula to stain a formerly painted wooden surface. The average drying time of this stain is faster than many others, and it takes around 8 hours.

Top Traits

• This stain formula offers a generous coverage of about 300-500 square feet.
• It suits and works well with multiple wooden surfaces.
• The application is pretty straightforward and only requires either a cotton rag or brush.

Pros

• It has a short drying time.
• The stain offers relatively higher coverage.

Cons

• This stain may look distasteful with thick application and multiple coatings.
• If you want to stain a previously painted structure, you will have to sand it and clean it first.

8. Old Masters Wip Stain, Puritan Pine

This particular product may be the best option for pinewood in terms of versatility. It provides high-duty protection and durability without costing you an arm and a leg. As for the application, the formula is a wiping stain. The consistency and texture are thicker and a bit heavier than other stains with penetration properties. But its thickness is one of the best attributes by which the formula helps cover up the blemishes during the staining process and gives you the most desirable results.

Moreover, if you want diversity in your pinewood projects in terms of color scheme, then this product is perfect for you as it comes in many colors. Every color with this formula gives a distinct and pleasing appearance to your wooden structures.

Top Traits

• This product is the best option for staining interiors. You may also use it for exterior structures with a recommended protective finish.
• The thick texture gives you command over the results.
• The formula does more than just stain your pinewood, thereby adds significant value to the wooden structures.

Pros

• The stain covers blemishes perfectly.
• Considering the protection, quality and color variety, the product is incredibly budget-friendly and great value for money.
• Each available color looks nice and appealing.  

Cons

• You will need to be very quick to wipe off this formula if there’s an excess or spillage, as it dries too fast.

9. Varathane Sunbleached Wood Stain

This stain is a bit different from those mentioned above. Sunbleached wood stain is a premium product by Varathane. If you’re not so new to wood stains and their makers, you may already know that Varathane is associated with Rustoleum, which is a leading and highly preferred wood stain producer.

The formula of this stain is oil-based and comes in a gray color having warm undertones to it, which looks absolutely beautiful on wooden surfaces. The formula gives a semi-transparent finish. The gray color of the stain isn’t in vibrant tones and may appear as a muted gray, but it looks sophisticated and is trending these days.

Top Traits

• It is relatively easier to wipe off using a rag.
• The muted gray gives a sophisticated look and is in trend.
• The stain delivers a stunning warm greige shade to pinewood.

Pros

• It dries up really quickly.
• One can of the products lasts for a long time.

Cons

• The thick consistency may form blotches if not applied properly.
• A wood conditioner may be necessary to remove stubborn blotches.

Closing Thoughts

Using top-quality stains for pinewood structures can revamp the entire look of a woodwork while adding tremendous value to it. However, each stain reacts and appears differently on different kinds of woods, and same is the case with pine. If you’re up for a DIY project involving your pinewood structures, then do ample research on the wooden structure you possess, the products, and the kind of look you want before you raid the market for a purchase and take on the project.

For more details and assistance with your wood projects, contact Period House Guru.