Woodwork Finish: Well Worth the Wait When Done Right

Adding woodwork finish to your home is a great way to enhance and give longevity to a great asset. Woodwork finish is applied to not only protect the surface, but often times to mask any imperfections and further beautify the appearance.

Before the finishing even begins, there is a method to preparing the wood, starting with filling nail holes and scraping, sanding and then staining. The finishing is the layers and coats of wax, shellac, lacquer, varnish or other oil and solvent applied and then polished.

Some of the best advice for a home improvement project that involves woodwork finish is to not rush through the process. It's always a good idea whenever possible to first do a trial run with a piece of scrap wood, especially with staining.

Uneven coloring is a common problems that will easily suck out the beauty of great woodwork. Then, undercoats need to be sanded. Multiple layers of thin coats of a clear gloss produce a much better finish than coating on a thick layer. Of course you always have to make sure one layer is completely dry before adding another.

That's what makes shellac a popular finish, it dries very quickly and it can be mixed with any color. However it's important to note shellac doesn't do well in wet or hot conditions.

There are a variety of tools to be used in wood finishes. On hand you may need rags, rubbing pads, brushes or spray guns. Whatever the choice, it can be a long process that is well worth the wait when done right.