Getting A Good Match

Today I was staining the desk. The stain had to be matched to the existing trim and so you may wonder how do I handle this?

Staining the desk.

As a professional I rely on other people around me to make my work successful. One group of people that I rely on quite heavily are my various suppliers and in particular the stores that match paint and stain for me.

I am quite partial to two paint and finish suppliers as they both serve me well and I am sure that both would like to be my exclusive dealer in all things regarding paints, stains, and finish. I use both the local Pittsburgh Paint dealer, which also carries Sikkens and M.L.Campbell products, and the pro Sherwin Williams store.

For this project I took in a piece of base trim and had Sherwin Williams do the color match. They nailed it pretty good as you can see here.

Comparing stain between trim sample and desk.

You have to develop an eye for understanding what a stained surface will look like once you add the finish. The finish will change the surface color a little bit. By working with color regularly, you will also develop a sense for the different tones that are often present in a nuanced fashion. This sense develops over time the more you deal with color and matching which is a regular exercise in my remodel business.

One brand of stain that I favor is Sherwin Williams' BAC Wiping Stain. This product dries to topcoat with solvent finishes in about 60 minutes, for a water base finish you must wait 24 hours. My shop is a little cool due to the winter weather so I give it a couple of hours before shooting a pre-cat lacquer. This by far beats something like Minwax or Behr stains which take 24 hours minimum to dry before topcoating with anything.