How to Stain Ash Lumber
Ash lumber can be stained with just about any color you choose. It is better to stay away from dark stains because they tend to become splotchy once they dry. If you do decide to apply a dark stain, make sure you pretreat the lumber.
How to Stain Ash Lumber
Materials Needed
- Drop cloth
- Pressure washer
- Prestain conditioner
- Paintbrush
- Cloth
- Mineral spirits
- Oil based stain
- Spread out a drop cloth large enough to hold the lumber. You want the drop cloth under the lumber to keep it from attracting dirt or mud.
- Use a pressure washer to clean the ash lumber. Turn the lumber over and spray it with the pressure washer. Make sure the setting is on low. Allow the lumber to completely dry. It can take up to two days for it to completely dry. Check the lumber to make sure it is dry. Allow it to further dry if it is not completely dry.
- Coat the lumber with prestain conditioner using a paintbrush. Dab away the excess conditioner with a cloth. Allow the conditioner to sit for 20 minutes. Place the paintbrush in mineral spirits to clean the conditioner from it.
- Open the oil based stain. Use the clean paintbrush to apply the stain over the lumber. Allow the stain to absorb into the lumber for three hours. Apply a second coat and allow it to dry for 48 hours. You can apply as many coats of stain as you like but allow each coat to dry for three hours before applying the next.