I bought a gallon of stain. After having it for a few months I went to use it. I then realized it was lightener than I wanted for my deck. Is there any way to darken this?
By Judy from Mt. Pleasant, MI
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The best stain to use on decking is semi transparent stain. It will last 3 to 5 years. You could take it to the paint store and ask them to darken the stain.
Yes, you can do one of 3 things:
1) The easiest is to go back to the store where you purchased it & have them tint it darker (I've done this countless times!) They tend to sometimes balk at doing this because they know how easy it is to screw it up without a "formula recipe" to go by, but all you have to do is reassure them you're not looking for perfection.
2) You can buy something called "universal tint". It's basically that concentrated stuff they add to paint & stain. Buy this at an artist supply store or online.
* Unfortunately, you might be able to buy another gallon of stain for the cost of the tint
3) You can buy a pint of the same basic base you have (look at the can & see if it says "transparent", "opaque" or whatever) then have the pint tinted a REALLY, really dark color, (maybe even darker than the sample "recipe" calls for) then add this to your stain bit, by bit until you are happy with the color.
Universal Tints: (URL below have the BEST prices around! because of selling a smaller quantity (1-1/2 oz tubes, a little goes a VERY long way!)
www.idealtruevalue.com/
(I'm an artist & painter by trade & I mix my own wall paint colors all the time)
The more coats of stain you put on the darker the deck gets. Just make sure you follow the directions regarding the time between coats PS; Always good to seal it after you've reached the color you want, 2 to 3 coats of sealant.
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