Splotchy wood banister

7 years ago

I am painting/refinishing the banister in my home. From what I was told, it was stained before but no top coat was applied and therefore, it looked dull and dingy by the time we bought the house. I wen over the whole thing with liquid sand paper and then lightly sanded by hand. I painted the spindles white but when I went to clean the railing prior to staining, I saw that the wood was very splotchy. I sanded a little more, thinking maybe I missed that area but nothing changed. I am not sure why it's this way or how to fix it. I would still like to stain it but it there a way to correct the splotchiness? Will I have to use a dark stain to cover it up? Should I use a gel stain since it's thicker or can I use oil based? Any help is greatly appreciated!

Featured Answer

klem1

7 years ago

It will require a professional or very dedicated finisher to pull that from the fire. The stain was sitting on top of wood with no penetration. You removed the thin film while sanding. I recommend sealing well then paint.

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Comments (12)

Susie .
7 years ago
I think you can probably sand it out, it just may take some time. Unless you use a very dark gel stain, it will probably still show through, and it still may be splotchy with a dark stain.
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mdnightsky
Original Author
7 years ago
klem1, any idea why the stain didn’t penetrate? Susie, you think a gel stain would be better than oil based?
klem1
7 years ago
"any idea why the stain didn’t penetrate?"

The person who origionally finished the rail applied a conditioner to prevent uneven obsorbsition of stain. That force's stain to sit on surface. If one spent the time sanding all the stain off,the conditioner would also be necessary before re-staining. Gel stain might sound like a silver bullet but I recommend experimenting on scrap wood before slapping it on a project. It seldom look's the same as it does on the store samples.
remodeling1840
7 years ago
Perhaps this is residual oils from hands before the original stain was done. I had that problem when newly installed wood wasn’t finished immediately after installation.
mdnightsky
Original Author
7 years ago
Remodeling1840, how did you fix it? The wood doesn't have to be perfect but I still want it to look decent after it's stained.
User
7 years ago
A common problem happens when someone stains a piece of wood without the proper preparation and then does not apply a finish. Stain is color. Finish is protection. Then there are products, like sanding sealer, that are not intended to work with stains. Sanding sealer is designed to smooth a surface and normally is not used with stains or clear finishes.

So, there are probably several situations present with that railing. Due to the shape, sanding out problem areas will be difficult. Painting(with a gloss enamel) may be the best long term solution.
mdnightsky
Original Author
7 years ago
If I were able to sand out the splotchy areas to make it good enough to stain, what steps should i take to make sure it's done properly?
sloyder
7 years ago
Really need to know what type of wood it is that is being stained, as some stain unevenly unless properly prepared. Gel stain would be better as it just sits on top of the wood surface, unlike an oil stain which penetrates.
mdnightsky
Original Author
7 years ago
Is there a way to tell wood type? I am guessing it's a type of soft wood since the grain is perfectly smooth.
User
7 years ago
Smooth(lack of grain definition) wood can be poplar, birch, maple, or aspen(and maybe some other types). Poplar is quite soft and is best suited for being primed and painted, since no grain characteristics telegraph through the paint. Birch and aspen are a bit harder than poplar, with maple being quite hard. Maple sands smoother than the other types.

Poplar, aspen, and birch also have more absorbent grains, meaning stains are absorbed deeper into the wood, and will need more sanding to remove.

Point is, we cannot see/identify what kind it is for sure. You will need to experiment to find the best method.
sloyder
7 years ago
looks like a birch or maple.