Hi I want to replace my painted skirting board with a varnished skirting
board. What should I use to stain the wood so that it looks like it is
hardwood as I have a quantity of softwood skirting that I could use but it
looks too light in colour if I just varnish it?
Thanks Tricia

"Tricia" wrote in message
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Hi I want to replace my painted skirting board with a varnished skirting
board. What should I use to stain the wood so that it looks like it is
hardwood as I have a quantity of softwood skirting that I could use but it
looks too light in colour if I just varnish it?
Thanks Tricia

Sorry not answering really your question, but...

You can't make it look like hardwood.

Be aware that any irregularity in the wall, that would normally be filled
with caulk when painting, can't be. Only a perfect wall will result in a
great result. You can of course match the filler colour to the wood, but it
is obviously a lot harder and never perfect.

--
Mike W

Tricia wrote:
Hi I want to replace my painted skirting board with a varnished
skirting board. What should I use to stain the wood so that it looks
like it is hardwood as I have a quantity of softwood skirting that I
could use but it looks too light in colour if I just varnish it?
Thanks Tricia

Hi Trica

First of all, you can't stain softwood to look like hardwood. It will look
like softwood stained hardwood colour. The grain patterns are entirely
different. If that's acceptable, don't use a coloured varnish - they look
terrible. Stain the softwood first with wood stain & varnish over.

Any filler used to cover screw/nail holes will show. Some wood fillers can
be stained, but they still show.


--
Dave
The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

In message , The Medway
Handyman writes
Tricia wrote:
Hi I want to replace my painted skirting board with a varnished
skirting board. What should I use to stain the wood so that it looks
like it is hardwood as I have a quantity of softwood skirting that I
could use but it looks too light in colour if I just varnish it?
Thanks Tricia

Hi Trica

First of all, you can't stain softwood to look like hardwood. It will look
like softwood stained hardwood colour. The grain patterns are entirely
different. If that's acceptable, don't use a coloured varnish - they look
terrible. Stain the softwood first with wood stain & varnish over.


I think I might prefer a wax finish, but it's down to preference really.

Any filler used to cover screw/nail holes will show. Some wood fillers can
be stained, but they still show.

Best thing here is to use plug cutter and cut out wood plugs to fit in
screw holes
--
Chris French

Tricia wrote:
Hi I want to replace my painted skirting board with a varnished skirting
board. What should I use to stain the wood so that it looks like it is
hardwood as I have a quantity of softwood skirting that I could use but it
looks too light in colour if I just varnish it?
Thanks Tricia



Which "hardwood" do you want it to look like? Most are pretty pale in
their natural state.
Caustic soda with vandyke crystals was the traditional way of "killing"
the brightness in new softwood. Caustic with strong tea is a good
substitute. Once the background colour is more subdued, anything else
you apply on top will look better, but strong colours on bare softwood
always look terrible.

Tricia wrote:
Hi I want to replace my painted skirting board with a varnished skirting
board. What should I use to stain the wood so that it looks like it is
hardwood

You won't be able to do it so that you can't tell the
difference. If you want to stain it, use spirit-based
stain such as Colron, *not* quick-drying paint-on.