To Seal or not to seal It's become common to seal the wood before staining. If you seal the wood before you stain, there won't be anything for the stain to soak into. Unless you want to leave your wood in its natural state, skip applying a sealer at this time. Staining Even if you have an expensive cut of wood, staining is almost always a necessity. By not staining, wood often appears blotchy and discolored.
Wood stains come in a wide variety of colors and formulas.
Pigmented oil finishes will give you good color. Faster drying stains that combine stain with a finishing coat make the job go quicker, but often appear muddled and unfinished. Basic oil stains make for a nice touch on lightwoods and offer more control that other staining agents. When picking out which color you'll use to stain, try to pick something just one shade lighter than you want the finished product to appear. Once you've picked out what type of stain you'll be using, application is easy.