You can change the shade of wood primarily through painting, dying, or staining.
Modifying the natural color or shade of wood is a common technique used in woodworking and furniture finishing to achieve a desired aesthetic, protect the surface, or revitalize old pieces. There are really three tried and true ways of adding color to a wood piece: painting, dying, and staining. These methods differ in how they interact with the wood fibers and how they affect the visibility of the wood's natural grain pattern.
Let's explore each method:
Painting
Painting involves applying a coat of paint to the wood surface. Paint is a chemical medium that contains pieces of pigment that sit on top of the wood. This means paint forms an opaque layer that completely covers the original color and grain of the wood.
- Characteristics:
- Provides a solid color finish.
- Hides the wood grain entirely.
- Offers unlimited color options.
- Provides a durable protective layer.
- Best For: Covering less attractive wood, achieving bright or solid colors, or creating a modern look.
Staining
Staining is another popular method that uses a chemical medium containing pieces of pigment that sit on top of the wood. Unlike paint, however, stain is designed to be absorbed into the top layers of the wood or sit thinly enough on the surface that the wood grain remains visible through the color.
- Characteristics:
- Adds color while allowing the wood grain to show through.
- Comes in various wood-tone shades as well as decorative colors.
- Penetrates the surface to some extent, but pigment particles are too large to go deep.
- Offers less opaque coverage than paint.
- Best For: Enhancing the natural beauty of the wood grain, changing the tone (e.g., from light oak to dark walnut), or achieving a classic look.
Dying
Dying wood involves using wood dyes, which are typically solutions where the colorant is dissolved into a liquid carrier (like water, alcohol, or oil) rather than suspended as pigments. These dye molecules are much smaller than pigment particles and are able to penetrate deeper into the wood fibers.
- Characteristics:
- Penetrates deep into the wood grain.
- Provides rich, vibrant colors.
- Doesn't obscure the wood grain; often highlights it.
- Less prone to showing scratches than surface-level pigments.
- Best For: Achieving deep, clear colors that look "in" the wood, highlighting figured grain patterns (like curly maple), or creating custom colors by mixing dyes.
Here's a simple comparison:
| Method | How it Colors Wood | Wood Grain Visibility | Coverage Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Painting | Pigment sits entirely on the surface | None (fully hidden) | Opaque |
| Staining | Pigment sits thinly on/just below surface | Visible | Translucent |
| Dying | Colorant penetrates deeply into fibers | Visible (enhanced) | Translucent |
Choosing the right method depends on the desired final appearance, the type of wood being used, and the level of grain visibility you wish to maintain.
