No matter how careful you try to be, wood stains are going to happen. That’s because just about anything can stain wood. Even plain water can create unsightly stains and discoloration. Covering up a stain probably isn’t as difficult or dangerous as you think. In fact, it can be an easy weekend project.
Hide Wood Stains With Paint
With the right paint, you can cover wood stains right up so that they’re invisible. A coat of paint or a new stain is usually the only and best way to hide water stains that have discolored wood.
What’s the best paint for hiding stains? You want to choose a paint that’s dark enough to cover the existing color of the wood. Otherwise, you’ll want to completely sand down the wood so that it can be painted or stained. This process should remove most or all of the problematic stains. When painting or staining, remember to look for eco friendly wood stain or paint so that you won’t be breathing in toxic fumes while you’re painting or after the wood has dried.
How to Choose Paint and Wood Stains
Look for wood stains and paints that are VOC-free. VOCs, volatile organic compounds, are chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at regular room temperature. VOC levels over 500 ppb (parts per billion) can cause medical and breathing problems for those who are sensitive to chemicals, according to a report from CBC Marketplace.
Many VOCs will dissipate over time. If your floors are more than a year old, there are probably no more VOCs present. However, if you’re applying a new wood stain or paint, you should look for VOC-free materials for the project. A study on Dampness in Buildings and Health conducted in Sweden showed that children who have PGE concentrations in their bedrooms in the 25 percent had a 100 percent higher likelihood of having asthma. That’s not all. The same children had a 150 percent high chance of getting eczema and a 320 higher chance of having rhinitis. The same study found that children who have multiple allergic symptoms who were exposed to PGE doubled their likeliness of developing allergic sensitivities. Those numbers are terrifying, and a great argument for selecting VOC-free wood stains and paints.
Paint and Wood Stain Colors
Choosing the right paint and wood stain is just the beginning of your worries. What colors should you choose? Let home design trends be your guide when it comes to selecting paint and wood stains. In an interior design trends survey from 2017, more than a third of participants aid they would choose a neutral color palette for their home design. A paint colors analysis from Zillow in 2017 showed that homes with blue bathrooms sold for $5,400 more than what homeowners expected.
Fixing Wood Stains and Sprucing Up Your Home
Repairing wood stains is a good excuse to give your home a whole new look, experiment with new colors, and paint your floors or furniture. It’s also a good way to fill your home with eco friendly paint and stain, and make your environment both healthier and more beautiful.
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