# Preferred finish methods for trim



## Ditchmonkey (Aug 16, 2015)

I'm finishing up the hearth pad for my wood stove and I need to add the trim pieces around the edge. I've read a lot of differing opinions and techniques on finishing the trim - stain, varnish, seal, combinations of the three. What is your preferred technique and stain product? After I install the trim with finish nails, how do I touch up the nail holes?

Thanks!


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## joecaption (Aug 17, 2015)

Totally depends on what looks good to you.
There is just no set "rule".
How is the rest of the house done? I'd want it to match what's already there.


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## nealtw (Aug 17, 2015)

If you are painting after you set the nails you can use dap and touch up the paint. if you are staining you canj mix a little stain into putty and fill the holes.


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## DFBonnett (Aug 18, 2015)

When staining new wood I've always.... 
....set the nails
....applied stain controller
....stained
....applied sanding sealer
....filled holes with matching putty, usually Minwax
....steelwooled until smooth
....applied 2 coats quality varnish in finish of choice
FWIW
YMMV


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## Ditchmonkey (Aug 19, 2015)

joecaption said:


> Totally depends on what looks good to you.
> There is just no set "rule".
> How is the rest of the house done? I'd want it to match what's already there.



I'm more getting at what is required for a proper finish. If I sand a trim piece, then stain it, is that an ok final product? Or do I need to seal it after that with another product? Do people ever stain more than one coat?


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## slownsteady (Aug 21, 2015)

Yes, if you want a richer color, sometimes you need a second coat of stain. I'm a big fan of Minwax stains, and there are directions right on the can about drying times and recoating times. I like to polyurethane the wood for a finish coat, but there is no rule about it. Bare or stained wood can be waxed instead. You don't want the wood to dry out over time, so some sort of finish coat is recommended. you can get a color chart for stains and compare them to other wood finishes in your home if you are looking to match them. or you can buy a few small cans of stain and apply them side-by-side on a piece of scrap wood to see which you prefer. You can even mix stains to get a specific tint (don't mix different brands!) but there are plenty of stock colors so you probably won't have to. If you have picked a stain already, try it on scrap wood, let it dry and then see if a second coat is needed. Also remember that the finish coat ( ie. poly) may affect the final color so you may want to test that on scrap too.


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## carmenjames (Aug 24, 2015)

can anyone post some pics of samples I want to see it for a reference.


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## Ditchmonkey (Aug 30, 2015)

I used a gel stain and now I'm going to apply the urethane top coat. The instructions say to apply 3 coats but they do not specify how long I should wait between coats. Any advice on that?


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## slownsteady (Aug 30, 2015)

Ditchmonkey said:


> I used a gel stain and now I'm going to apply the urethane top coat. The instructions say to apply 3 coats but they do not specify how long I should wait between coats. Any advice on that?



Wait until it is thoroughly dry...24 hours should do it. Overnight at the minimum.


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## bud16415 (Aug 30, 2015)

I do what it says on the back of the can most of the time and have good results.


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