Gel Stain Baby!
Oh, how I do love me some gel stain! A couple of years ago I used General Finishes Gel Stain in Walnut to do my stairs and kitchen cabinets. I was really happy with the results and it was so easy to do. Just wipe it on, you don’t even need to sand first. I have recently discovered that you don’t need to apply it to wood, so I have been slapping it all over the place. I stained a cheap little white formica cabinet and added some knobs I found for $3 at Homegoods, and it looks so much better!
I also stained some $1 silver chargers to look like wood.
But, my favorite project yet, are my garage doors. I absolutely love the way they turned out.
After seeing on Pinterest that gel stain could be used on non wood garage doors, I was anxious to try it, so I bought two cans of Minwax gel stain in Hickory at Home Depot. First I cleaned the doors with vinegar and dish soap and hosed them down really well. You may want to power wash them if they are really dirty. Then I let them dry. I was a little nervous to try something so bold, so I experimented with a small section on the inside of the garage door. It went on easily so I decided to just do it. Worst case I would have to repaint them right?
I used a 2 inch brush and painted the stain on one square at a time. It took about an hour and a half, per door. I used a back and forth brush stroke inside the square and then went around the edges to add definition. The do the edges that are covered by the rubber flap around the outside, I got as close as possible, then let it dry. After each door was pretty dry I opened the doors and did the rest of the edges from the inside while the doors were up. Then I let that dry too. The next day I went over them any missed spots and visible brush strokes. I was happy with the result but I wished they looked a little bit more like wood, so I bought some General Finishes Gel Stain in Java. It is only sold at specialty stores but I think you can find it on the internet. Then I went over them again, SO MUCH BETTER! I took a picture halfway so you can see the difference.
The Java gave them a nice warm shadow and made them look more like wood. Then I applied an outdoor uv and mildew resistant polyurethane, which is a must here in Texas. Easy Peasy! Now I just need to find something else to stain. Cheers!
The Rabbit Hole 