When applying Defy wood stain it is important to follow certain guidelines for a beautiful long lasting finish. First and foremost, follow the manufacturers recommendations for the application process for the best results. It is necessary to prep the wood correctly prior to applying Defy. This can be done using Defy Wood Cleaner and Defy Wood Brightener.

Once the wood is clean it is ready for stain. Properly applying Defy so it does not dry shiny starts with only applying as much stain as the wood will absorb. Different wood surfaces will absorb stain differently depending on the type of wood, age, porosity, and condition. Start applying Defy to one board. Completely stain the entire board before starting on the next one. If the boards or area you are starting on are not that long in length you can do a couple at a time. But it is important to finish staining the whole piece of wood to eliminate any lap marks.

Once the Defy stain has been applied allow it to penetrate the wood for 10 minutes or so. After this wait time you should back brush or wipe away any excess puddles or drips of stain that have not been absorbed into the wood. If stain does not penetrate the wood after 10-15 minutes then it most likely is not going to. This means the wood has absorbed all it can. Over applying the stain will only cause it to dry shiny and may cause peeling and flaking issues down the road. In the case of wood staining, more is not always better.

If the finish does appear shiny after a few days of curing then it was most likely over applied. To correct this problem it may be necessary to sand the shiny areas or wash the wood again using a wood stain stripper to reveal bare wood. Then reapply a coat of stain being careful not to over apply a second time.