Top 5 Tips for Staining Your Saloon Doors

1. Order the best material for your finished project.

Staining will show the grain of the doors more than paint. What is the finish you are going for? We have Minwax finishing options available with all our stain grade woods. But if you choose to stain the doors yourself, it is a great DIY weekend project.

2. Prepping the doors for stain

All custom saloon doors come fully sanded (even the finish sanding) DONE!  Keep in mind our poplar wood is paint grade only.The doors will be just about ready for stain. Before you stain the doors, we recommend wiping the doors down with a soft cloth. Some stain/wood requires a pre-conditioner. A wood conditioner acts as a base coat and fills in wood pores for a more even color coverage.

3. Stain Color

We recommend spot checking the stain to make sure you like the color. Depending on the finish you want, you may need only one coat of stain or two coats of stain. You will need to stain both sides of the doors, make sure door(s) are fully dried before flipping the doors.

4. Top Coat

Once the doors have been stained to the desired finish, you will need to add a top coat to cure and protect the finish. A top coat will provide long term protection. A polyurethane top coat will protect the wood from scratches, water damage and stains.

Make sure to pick good quality brushes/rollers because this will make a big difference with the look of the finished door.

5. Drying Time

Allow the doors to fully dry before installing. It is an important step to make sure the paint cures before you are handling the doors and installing the doors.