Choosing Wood Finishes Based on Wood Type
I recently struggled for weeks trying to choose the perfect finish for a cherry wood bookcase I was building. I wanted to enhance the beautiful reddish color of the cherry wood while still allowing its natural grain to shine through. But I just couldn’t decide between oil, varnish, stain or shellac. Ultimately, I had to step back and educate myself on properly choosing wood finishes based on the type of wood being used.
| Takeaway | Description |
|---|---|
| Test on scraps | Always test finishes on wood scraps first to ensure desired look and compatibility before applying to final project. |
| Consider wood properties | Analyze wood hardness, pores, color variation to inform finish choice. These impact finish adhesion and final appearance. |
| Choose protection level wisely | Consider durability needed and use patterns when selecting finish. Harder finishes like polyurethanes offer more protection for frequent use. |
| Follow applicator directions | Carefully follow tool and finish application instructions to avoid common mistakes like brush marks, bubbles in finish. |
| Recommended pairings | Some top wood and finish pairings are oak with gel stain or spar varnish, maple with water-based polyurethane or paint, cherry with tung oil or wiping varnish. |
Key Properties of Different Wood Types
The type of wood you are finishing has a major impact on the finishing process. Each wood has unique properties that determine how the finish adheres, its pores and tendency to dent or scratch, and how it’s natural color is impacted. Here are some key considerations when choosing wood by type:
- Hardwoods – Woods like oak, maple, cherry, and walnut are generally harder and take finishes very well. Their increased density causes finishes to cure more slowly but form a protective layer that resists scratches.
- Softwoods – Woods like pine and cedar are softer, less dense, and have more resin. The softness causes them to dent and scratch more easily. The higher resin content can also interfere with finish adhesion.
- Pore size – Oak has very large pores while maple has none. Small and medium sized pores require filling before finishing to achieve an ultra smooth surface.
- Color – Some woods like cherry change color over time when exposed to light. Others can have extreme color variation or sap that impacts staining.
As you choose finishes, these wood properties have to be taken into consideration or you could end up with lackluster results.
Finishing Considerations for Specific Wood Types
The right finish and process varies widely depending on the exact wood being used. Here are finishing considerations for some of the most common wood types:
Finishing Oak
Oak has extremely large pores that act almost like small holes across the surface. This means:
- The pores need to be carefully filled before finishing to create a smooth surface. Using a wood filler, thin coats of sanding sealer, or even paste wax can effectively fill the pores.
- The tannins in oak can react poorly with some products like water-based polyurethanes and cause amber coloring. Gel stains are highly recommended.
- Multiple thin finish coats allow the finish to slowly build while still penetrating into the pore spaces. Thick finish coats tend to pool and create an uneven surface.
Finishing Maple
With maple’s hardness and lack of noticeable pores, it can be finished to an extremely smooth surface:
- Maple doesn’t require any pore filling since it lacks open pores. After just a light sanding it’s ready for finishing products.
- A wide variety of paints, stains, oils and varnishes can be used since maple doesn’t have reactive tannins like oak.
- Due to maple’s nearly blank canvas, test samples are extremely important. It can look much different finished versus raw.
Finishing Cherry
Cherry offers a wonderful reddish hue as it ages but has softer pores requiring filling:
- The pores are small but still require filling with sanding sealer or paste filler to avoid an uneven, porous surface when finished.
- Cherry’s color changes to a richer reddish-brown when exposed to light over time. So it’s best to delay finishing for 6-8 weeks after milling if desiring this aged color.
- Tung oil is commonly used to finish cherry as it enriches the wood’s color well without fully obscuring the grain patterning.
Finishing Pine
Since pine is a soft wood, the finishing process requires a few adaptions:
- Due to softness, pine is likely to dent and scratch more easily regardless of finish used. Using semi-gloss or high-gloss gives it more resistance to marking.
- Pine’s high resin content can inhibit finish adhesion. Making sure to remove sap, resin, and dust is imperative before applying finishes.
- Paint tends to adhere better than stains and clear coats. The wood can be too porous for uniform staining while clear finishes highlight denting.
Finishing Other Hardwoods
Most other hardwoods can be finished similarly to oak, cherry or maple but still benefit from testing and checking the characteristics of each species. Key things that may differ:
- Color variations – Woods like walnut can have extreme color differences over a single board while maple has very little. This makes test samples even more critical.
- Reaction with finishes – Spanish cedar contains acids that corrode metal in finishes. Teak has oils that inhibit adhesion. These reaction tendencies necessitate testing.
- Density of pores – The size and density of pores still varies slightly even among hardwoods, so pore filling needs may differ.
No matter the wood species, testing finish samples on scraps is highly advised to ensure you get the desired look and protection.
Key Finish Characteristics
Beyond just wood type, the characteristics of the actual finishing product impact the final look and protection level of the wood:
- Protection Level – film-building finishes like varnishes fully encapsulate the wood creating the most durable protective barrier while oils offer little protection. Consider wear and use when choosing protection level.
- Color Change – Pigmented finishes like stains or paints inherently change the natural color while water-based polys create little color shift.
- Clarity – Crystal clear finishes like tung oil alter natural color very slightly while letting the beauty of the wood grain show through. White pigmented paint obscures the wood grain entirely.
Ideally the finish enhances the natural wood characteristics you wish to highlight while downplaying those you don’t.
Recommended Finish Pairings by Wood Type
One simple rule of thumb when choosing finishes is to match harder, more durable finishes with harder wood types while using softer finishes on more delicate woods:
- Oak and maple take harder finishes like polyurethanes very well to yield extremely durable surfaces.
- Soft woods like pine and fir can dent easily under harder finishes, making painted surfaces more ideal.
- More delicate, color-rich woods like cherry and walnut benefit from softer, clear finishes like wiping varnish.
Beyond those simple guidelines, here are some of my top finish recommendations for specific wood types:
- Oak – Gel Stain, Spar Varnish
- Maple – Water-based Polyurethane, Paint
- Cherry – Tung Oil, Wiping Varnish
- Pine – Milk Paint, High-gloss Enamel
- Cedar – Teak Oil, Marine Varnish
- Walnut – Danish Oil, Conversion Varnish
The options may seem infinite when choosing finishes but armed with information on how wood type impacts the process, ideal pairings become much more apparent. Simple testing and an understanding of fundamental finishing properties will guide you to beautiful results.
Common Wood Finishing Mistakes
While my finishing struggles have taught me the importance of choosing products wisely based on the wood, I’ve also made just about every mistake possible. Here are some of the most common missteps I see woodworkers make:
- Not testing finishes first on wood scraps. Since wood varies so greatly, testing is imperative!
- Not properly filling pores. This causes a pitted, uneven final surface with finish pooling in holes.
- Using the wrong applicator tool. Heavy nap paint rollers leave bubbles and brush marks with film finishes.
- Inadequate surface prep between coats. For an ultra-smooth surface, 400+ grit wet sanding is needed on fully cured coats.
- Simply choosing the wrong finish for the wood type. See my recommendations above.
If it doubts, test it out! With the right finishing knowledge guiding the testing, the perfect look can be achieved.
Concluding Takeaways
The key lessons from my finishing journey were:
- Always start by analyzing the wood’s unique properties like hardness, pores, color variation.
- Test many finish options on scraps to narrow possibilities.
- Only choose finishes that achieve desired aesthetics AND protection level.
- Follow application instructions carefully to avoid common mistakes.
I sincerely hope this guide to choosing finishes based on wood types eliminates some of the guesswork and guides you to beautiful results! Please share any of your finishing wisdom in the comments below. Happy woodworking!
Frequently Asked Questions
What finish works on all wood types?
While oil-based polyurethane can work on most woods, it sometimes reacts poorly with exotic species. Shellac is the only universally compatible finish Ive found.
Should oak floors be stained or sealed?
For oak hardwood flooring, most professionals recommend skipping stains and using a water-based polyurethane designed for floors. The poly brings out oaks natural beauty while protecting against scuffs and scratches.
Can you paint over stained wood?
Yes, stained wood can be repainted but may require extra priming first. A stain-blocking primer helps seal the wood and prevents interactions with the old stain that could cause bleed-through or color shifts.
What sheen is best for finishing cabinets?
For most cabinet woods, I recommend a satin, semi-gloss, or high gloss sheen. Glossier finishes better resist marks from daily wear-and-tear around cabinets yet still allow wood grain to show through.
How do you bring out the grain in wood?
Using a pre-stain wood conditioner first can help regulate absorption leading to more pronounced grain patterns with stains. For painted surfaces, a wood grain tool can imprint realistic textures.
What finish should I use on a butcher block countertop?
Hardness and protection from moisture, food and daily use make a durable film finish like Waterlox ideal for most butcher block tops. It seals the wood while maintaing a natural appearance.
What kind of finish is food safe?
Pure Tung oil, beeswax, and carnauba wax qualify as food safe finishes. They protect wood to varying degrees yet don’t contain toxic compounds found in some varnishes and paints when dry. Water-based polys also become inert and non-toxic when fully cured.
Below are three external links that could be relevant to this article:
BLO | The Best Wood Finishes for Every DIY Project