Ideally, your stain will preserve the rich color of your maple cabinets, not hide it. But maple is tricky–it can dry blotchy and fade over time with poor treatment or low-quality stains. That is why we'd recommend using a pre-stain conditioner, like Minwax, to first prepare your maple for staining.
Maple is one of the most difficult woods to achieve a dark, uniform stain color on because it is a dense, closed grain wood and often absorbs stain very unevenly.
The best maple wood stain is actually a wood dye. Wood dyes are more easily absorbed into the tighter grain of maple and provide a darker color. However, if you want the benefits of a stain, then you can turn to a lighter gel-based stain.
Maple Finishing Tips
Want to retain maple's light look? Coat it with a clear, water-based finish. Be sure to damp-sponge the wood to lift the grain, then sand, both before and between coats. Give maple an aged look with dye and an oil/varnish mix.
Because of its consistency, maple also does not absorb stain as well as oak. Physical Characteristics: The light, natural finish makes hard maple a leading choice for contemporary spaces when it comes to furniture and hardwood flooring.
Maple is notoriously difficult to stain. It's less porous than Oak, which makes it harder for the stain to seep into the wood. The stain on a Maple board can often have a blotchy, uneven appearance as in the photo below.
Yellow birch finished to look like maple B. Maple Chosen for its lighter color, the yellow birch was almost a perfect look-alike for sugar maple even before staining with a highly diluted Dark Golden Oak aniline dye and finishing with lacquer.
Maple, by its density and grain structure, does not like to "take" stain the way oak soaks it up. An oil-based wiping stain just isn't the right product for you to use -- given your goals. It is a fine product, but not the one you want here. A water soluble dye product would be much better for you.
Tight grain wood, such as hard and soft maple, and cherry, will often become blotchy when stain is applied. Open grained wood, such as oak or ash, often stain unevenly between the different textures of the wood grain, especially when trying to achieve deep colors.
Generally speaking, the more porous a wood is, the better it will take stain. Oak, for example, has very large pores so it will stain quite easily. Cedar is also well known for its ability to take stain. Other woods that are commonly used with stain include ash and chestnut.
Glazes available in Ebony, Brown, Cordovan, Pewter, Umber and White. The stains shown are approximate representations only. Actual stain color may differ from what appears on your screen due to variations in computer monitors.
As hardwoods age, they experience a change in color due to exposure to oxygen and sunlight. This process causes light-colored woods like maple to darken over time, with the cream hue transitioning to a darker shade resembling honey or light gold.
Compared to Red Oak, it is slightly harder. Maple is generally the lightest colored hardwood. Its grain is very smooth, giving it a modern chic look. Maple is the best choice if you're looking for super blonde wood in its natural form.
Pros – Affordable and ultra durable. It can take a beating and look great for many years to come. Because it takes dark stains well, maple is often used to mimic more expensive woods. Cons – Because of its ability to mimic pricier woods, it puts maple trees at risk from deforestation.
Soft maple will blotch with stain, more than hard maple. It is easier to shoot toner over either maple than to stain it. From contributor G: Soft maple will actually absorb stain, thus making it easier to get deep colors.
Ideally, your stain will preserve the rich color of your maple cabinets, not hide it. But maple is tricky–it can dry blotchy and fade over time with poor treatment or low-quality stains. That is why we'd recommend using a pre-stain conditioner, like Minwax, to first prepare your maple for staining.
The soak-in area is where you will have a darker blotch in your stain. When it is even, then lightly scuff sand before applying your stain. If the stain will not penetrate, use a higher grit sandpaper with a block and with the grain. The more porous wood should still stay sealed unless you over-sand.
Like cherry, maple will darken over time, though far less dramatically. Maple starts off very light and bright, with a few pink and grey tones. Over time, it will age to a warm golden honey color.
Dark Walnut, Provincial, and Jacobean are popular wood floor stain colors that work great across many styles. If you're still not sure which color to choose, mix custom colors and apply them to samples, so you can test them in your space.
Clear and transparent stains need a touchup every year or two. Semi-transparent last 2 to 3 years. Semi-solid stains are good for 2 to 4 years of protection. Solid stains on decks may protect up to 5 to 7 years.
Jacobean, Provincial, and Antique Brown are probably the most popular stain colors. They are each a beautiful medium brown that will give your floor the timeless classic elegant look for years to come. Trends are starting to favor the darker looks recently.