# Staining to match discolored wood tongue and groove ceiling



## DIY808 (Jan 3, 2012)

We have a beautiful high vaulted ceiling in our grand room that is natural wood tongue and groove panels. We are in the middle of a major kitchen remodel and recently took down the track lighting from the kitchen. The lighting doesn't work where it use to be in our new kitchen configuration. The wood was considerably lighter where the track lighting was located. The painter told us to sand it and try to stain match it. We did but it now looks worse and we can't seem to match the color of the wood. Where we sand is very light and the stain doesn't seem to take as well in that section. What can we do? I would like to fix this section and not sand the whole ceiling. Plus I'm afraid if we do that we may see dark lines between the grooves when we clear coat.

Your advice is greatly appreciated.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

It's all trial and error. Always better to have it to light and be able to add more stain to make it darker. Once you go to dark you have to sand it all back to bare wood.
I use Gel stains ever possible not liquid stains. It give you more control and less mess. 
Keep in mind if the color looks close more stain can be added to make it darker. I like to get it just slightly lighter because the sealer is going to darken it up more.


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## DIY808 (Jan 3, 2012)

Thanks for the reply. I thought I'd add a photo to give you a better understanding of our problem. We just stained the beams a few days ago.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

If your talking about that dark area, it's all got to sanded again back to bare wood.
It looks like a stain called natural or there no stain just poly with no stain.


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## DIY808 (Jan 3, 2012)

The darker portion is where my husband used the clear coat that we are going to use on the whole ceiling to seal it. He was experimenting with stains on different parts and then tried the quick 15 clear coat over it to see how it would look. We are concerned about the lighter portion and getting it to match the rest of the ceiling so that when we clear coat the whole ceiling will match. The stain doesn't seem to take too well to the lighter portion where the track lighting was.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

There's a chance someone applyed what's called sanding sealer to all the wood before it was installed, which would block the stain. If your trying to use Min-Wax Polyshades, STOP. I've never had to much luck with it and it tends to take in some areas and not in others.
http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/stains-color-guide/?gclid=CMGJpJmEtK0CFcfe4AodOF68OQ


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## gregatl (Mar 11, 2015)

*I'm Having The Same Problem*

I installed a tongue and groove cedar ceiling on my outdoor back porch. I used the Behr Premium Outdoor Transparent Cedar stain, which looks great, by the way. Problem is the installers put two boards in that had white marks, maybe sap, on them? In my opinion, they should've selected to not use them. The two spots won't take the stain, and they are an eye sore to an otherwise great project. I've sanded the area, and now the entire sanded area will barelytake the stain. It is now a 3" square-shaped light area. Presently, I am trying to glob some of the stain just on the area and let it dry and will go back and sand with a micro-fine sand paper block. I am noticing, though, if I repeat this process too much, by adding more stain, the whole area will begin to look darker than the rest of the project, minus the light-colored center, which was the original problem to begin with.

If anyone has a solution, other than removing and replacing the boards, which is a worst case scenario option, then I'd be your friend forever.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

joecaption said:


> There's a chance someone applyed what's called sanding sealer to all the wood before it was installed, which would block the stain. If your trying to use Min-Wax Polyshades, STOP. I've never had to much luck with it and it tends to take in some areas and not in others.
> http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/stains-color-guide/?gclid=CMGJpJmEtK0CFcfe4AodOF68OQ


I agree with everything Joe has said above .... except I would not discount PolyShades.... but you had better undestand it and experiment with it.

It is not a stain per se..(and you are stateing that stain will not take on your white spots)...

Poly shades is a tinted polyurethane ( a colored poly).... the more you put on... the more prevalent/darker the tint.

If you can find or mix the correct hue... you can obtain your desired darkness with how much you apply... either how heavy or how many coats...

The bad side of the coin is that you must put it on evenly, or you will get blotches or lap/stroke marks.....

In general I have to feather it out rather far to blend in....

BUT I will say that it is tricky and not any godsend to fine finishes....

Good luck


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