How long does it take for wood stain to dry. The 4 or 5 hour time span on the can assumes optimum warm dry weather. Use oil based formulas to get a longer working time so you can avoid dried lap marks when staining larger surfaces like floors and doors. Prepare consists of getting the wood surface ready for stain and finish application and includes wood conditioning. Looking for wood staining adviceit can take as short as one hour or as long as a few days depending on the type of wood stainthe stain product you choose will depend on how much time you have for the project how you plan to apply the stain and the prevailing weather conditions.
Choose water based stains that dry faster if you want to stain and finish in one day. So in the case of a dark stain that needs 2 days to dry and if you apply 3 coats of poly you are up to 5 days. How long does it take for deck stain to dry. Assuming the deck is dry and thirsty for stain its time to make your deck amazing.
I have often put one color stain over another with no problems as long as both are wiped. First ensure the deck is completely dry. Certain formulations of interior oil based wood stains allow re coating after two hours. I would not panic at only 11 hours of dry time in humid weather.
The answer to this depends on any number of different factors and all of them need taking into account before you can walk on your deck with confidence after treating it with exterior wood stain. You have put in a lot of work to get this far. Varathanes gel stain does take the same amount of time to dry when it comes to being able to handle it and apply a recoat between 1 and 2 hours but requires a minimum of 8 hours to dry before you can apply a topcoat. Remember no rain 24 hours before you apply stain and no rain 24 hours after the staining project.
Before you start a refinishing or finishing project be sure that the woods surface is dry and free of old finishes in poor condition paint wax grease polish dirt or other foreign matter. If humidity levels are high wood stains can take 48 hours to dry. Standard wood stain typically takes between 18 and 24 hours to dry completely. It does not state how long it takes to dry before you can apply a topcoat like the gel stain chart below.
The first stain on will be the dominant color. When applying stain a pad brush roller or rag can be used to apply the stain.