How to Stain & Paint a Bench
Add seating, storage and a surprise pop of color to your next outdoor soiree with a beautifully stained storage bench. Staining a bench is the perfect way to add charm and warmth to your yard space. For support with how to stain a bench, follow the directions below.
1.
We begin this project by removing the lid, since it’s the last piece of the bench that we’re working with.
2.
Now we're ready to prep our surface.
Smooth out any rough spots with a medium grit sanding sponge, then go over the piece again with a fine grit sanding sponge.
Remove any residual dust with a damp cloth.
Sand the lid, too!
3.
Open your lightest shade of stain and give it a good stir. For this project, we used a 2" angular brush to apply the stain.
4.
Next, open and stir your darker shade of stain. In this project, we used the darker stain for the outer frame of the bench. You can use the same brush - just make sure it's clean.
Tip: Stain can be applied with a cloth or a brush, but we chose a brush to ensure proper coverage and clean edges of the bench's details. Learn more about interior staining here.
5.
Once the stains were applied to the exterior of the bench, we also stained the interior to give the piece a professional, finished look. This step is optional.
6.
While the bench dries according to the information back of the stain's label, start prepping the lid.
Sand and stain the exterior, as described above.
Once dry, tape the edges of the area on the interior of the lid.
Prime, then apply two coats of paint for optimal coverage.
Tip: Use a primer for best color coverage, especially when painting untreated wood. Ask your local Sherwin-Williams store for other priming tips.
7.
Now that the stain has dried, apply a clear coat to seal the wood.
8.
Once it's completely dry, reassemble the lid and call it a day!
Tip: Always clean your brushes for future use. Learn how to properly store and dispose of paint here.
Colors We Used
Check out our most popular colors for your most important projects to develop your color palette and create like a pro. See the colors we used for this design below.
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