Once wood is stained, a common question is "can I paint over it again?". This is comes up more that you'd expect, so to address it, we had our resident expert Jerry Vargo come in and explain the facts. In short, the answer is "yes, you can paint over stained wood"- but you need to be careful!
In order to determine what type of paint or stain you need to cover over the stain that's already there -- latex (water-based), or oil-based -- you need to first determine if the stain that's already there is water-based or oil-based. Here, Jerry shows you how to perform the denatured alcohol test, which will tell you if your already-existing stain is water-based or oil-based.
As Jerry explains: add the denatured alcohol to a (preferably white) rag, rub it over the existing stain, and check both the rag and the surface of the wood. If the rag comes away clean, and the surface remains smooth, then you know you're dealing with oil-based paint.
Next, run the water-based stain test: add the alcohol to the rag, rub it over the stain, and if it comes away with stain on the rag and/or the surface of the wood becomes a little rough then you know you're dealing with water-based stain.
Now you're ready to make your decision! Oil-based stain can be covered with new oil-based stain/paint OR latex stain/paint, whereas water-based stain can ONLY be covered with latex stain/paint. Simple enough!
Whether you're a DIY-er figuring this out for the first time or a veteran who could use a refresher on this topic, Jerry is here to help- you can check out the full video below. And for all of your paint, stain, or other project needs, feel free to visit the Hyde Store!
Hyde Tools Team
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