Wood stain ‘splodgy’

[helpplease83]

Hi all,

I have some stairs of varnished Victorian ash, and the varnish is peeling. I am sanding back the varnish and staining/oiling the wood. 

I have done the rails and pillars and no problems but when I come to do the stair tread the stain isn’t going on well on some stairs. It can only be described as ‘splodgy’! 

Did I not sand back the varnish properly? I hear now I should have used wood conditioner/primer, would that have helped?

What is the fix here please? Thankfully I haven’t done any other stairs so only a few to (hopefully) correct. 

 

[JacobZ]

Hi @helpplease83,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is wonderful to have you with us.

It looks like your stair treads are unevenly absorbing the stain, leading to a splodgy appearance. 

As varnish creates a film-like coating on the stairs, if it is not completely removed before staining, it will prevent the stain from penetrating into the grain of the timber in any areas where it remains, leaving the splodgy appearance you are seeing.

To fix the affected treads, you’ll need to sand them back thoroughly to remove the stain and any remaining varnish. Use 80-120 grit sandpaper, ensuring an even surface, and check for any lingering residue by wiping the treads with a damp cloth. If the water soaks in, you can feel confident the varnish has been removed, if it beads on top instead of absorbing, then you will need to continue sanding. 

Once the treads have been sanded bare, brush, vacuum and wipe them down with a damp cloth to remove any sawdust that can affect the absorption of the stain.

You can then proceed to stain your stairs as normal. As Victorian Ash is a hardwood, there is no great benefit in adding a timber conditioner as they are designed for use on softwoods such as pine.

Ensure you follow the instructions on your stain closely to achieve the best results.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[helpplease83]

Thank you. It seems you are saying we didn’t remove the varnish thoroughly? We will sand back, and try again. You will see a handprint stain on one stair, is this because of oils? 

[JacobZ]

Hi @helpplease83,

Yes, that is correct.

Make sure the whole surface is bare and uniform before staining again.

Let me know how you go and if you have any questions along the way, don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob