On most raw woods, start sanding in the direction of the grain using a #120-150 grit paper before staining and work up to #220 grit paper. Soft woods such as pine and alder: start with #120 and finish with no finer than #220 (for water base stains) and 180 grit for
800-1000 grit wet sanding is best prior to color coating. If you intend to stain with penetrating stain or dye, it is more important that your sanding is uniform and your grit no finer than 320. If you go too fine, you burnish portions of the surface and affect how the color is absorbed.
Be sure to progress up through every grit level; 60, 80, 100, 120, 150, 180, 220 and on. Typically you will want to stop at 180 or 220 if you are planning to stain the wood. Higher grits will close the pores of the wood and make it difficult for stain to penetrate. Go with the grain.
For removal of the finish, you'll use a rough 60 grit sandpaper. To remove the wood stain, your preferred sandpaper will be a medium 120 grit. For fine sanding and finishing, you'll need to have a fine 360 grit paper on-hand.
Do You Have to Sand Before Staining Wood? Wood needs to be sanded well before it can be stained. The process opens up the wood's pores to better absorb the stain. It also smoothes away scratches in the surface which will only be enhanced by stain.
Sandpaper with a lower grit number will make wood rougher, allowing more stain to absorb and creating a darker color. Start with 120-grit sandpaper for pieces that already have a finish. With unfinished wood, start with 80-grit sandpaper and then treat it as if you're refinishing it.
Apply a Liquid Deglosser
This product helps you prepare the surface for new stain or paint without the need to strip or sand. Wipe it on with a cloth, and it removes the glossy top layer, making the surface ready for refinishing.
Do not over sand or you may seal the wood so much that it will not take a finish. End-grains (areas where the wood has been cut against the grain), such as the front side of a table, tend to soak up more stain than other surfaces. Give end-grain areas an additional sanding to control the absorption of stain.
Selecting the Right Grit Sandpaper
For heavy sanding and stripping, you need coarse sandpaper measuring 40 to 60 grit; for smoothing surfaces and removing small imperfections, choose 80 to 120 grit sandpaper. For finishing surfaces smoothly, use extra fine sandpaper with 360 to 400 grit.
Sand the Surface
Let the wood dry for 24 hours. Then, sand the surface with 100- to 150-grit sandpaper. Use a sanding block or an orbital sander. Apply only enough pressure to take off any residue and rough areas.
Wood staining involves applying a coat of stain to a freshly sanded wood surface to transform the color of the wood or emphasize the wood grain. The process of sanding and staining a piece of wood is known as refinishing.
It's best to use a backing pad when wet sanding to achieve a uniform finish. Instead of using small circles as you would with dry sanding, wet sand in a straight line, first horizontally and then vertically.
A medium grit may be sufficient for shallower divots or general over-sanded areas. Typically, alternating from 60 to 180 grit sandpaper in stages (80, 120, 150, then 180) helps erase sanding marks while gradually achieving a smooth, level surface.
No matter the type of wood, we always recommend waiting 24-48 hours after rainfall or cleaning to make sure the structure is dry prior to staining.
Leave the original stain in place if you want to stain the piece a darker color. If you're going from a light stain to a dark stain, there's no need to strip away the existing stain first. However, keep in mind that the existing stain may alter the color of the finished product.
The primary function of staining is to provide color to a wood piece. If you sand in between coats of stain, you risk breaking the color and damaging the stain. Instead, you should sand the raw wood before applying a stain.
The Golden Rule of Sanding
The golden rule for choosing your sequence is to never skip more than 1 grit. For example, if you start with P80, and need to finish at P240, rather than using every grit from P80 – P220, you can do P80 – P120 – P180 – P240. This sequence cuts out P100, P150 and P220.
With enough time and energy spent sanding, you can still end up with the same result. However, because we skipped so many grits, it is going to take much more time and effort to lower the 80-grit peaks and establish the 180-grit scratch pattern that we need for a high-level finish.
Fine Sandpaper, ranging from 120- to 220-grit, is used in most home workshops. This sandpaper is often used for final sanding before a project is completed. Extra-fine Sandpaper, including paper with 240-grit to 600-grit, is used between paintings or varnishing and is best suited for polishing jobs.
Begin with medium-grit sandpaper (#120). Work your way to a final sanding with fine-grit sandpaper (#220). Always sand in the direction of the grain to avoid leaving unsightly scratches. Stain can be applied with a bristle brush, a foam brush, or a cloth.
Avoid Over Application
Decks are best stained with a semi-transparent wood stain. People are often mistaken in thinking that applying more coats will make the stain more durable, and therefore last longer. However, oversaturation will create a thick film on the surface that will flake and peel off in a matter of weeks.
Sand the Wood
When the wood is completely dry, use 120- to 220-grit sandpaper to sand the surface to remove any remaining wood stain and finish.
Wood-boring pests may begin carving out holes in your deck's boards, moisture from rain and snow will seep into the wood's pores and cause rot and warping, and harsh sunlight will cause permanent discoloration.
Woods high in tannins may require sealing first, but all species of stained wood can be painted, including hardwoods and softwoods, and even grasses like wicker and rattan. Previously stained furniture and home elements (doors, trim, cabinetry) will accept paint, with the latter sometimes requiring a deep clean first.