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Staining Wood Windows

DonCanDo | Posted in General Discussion on March 10, 2007 04:25am

I’ve painted a lot of windows (one of my less favorite painting jobs), but I’ve never stained them.  These windows are tall, divided light with 15 panes (I think) and there’s about 12 of them.

Is it easier to mask the glass and try and keep the stain off the glass or should I just smear the stain right onto the glass and clean it up afterwards?

I’m not sure what stain I’ll be using.  It might be oil or water-borne.  I’m hoping for water-borne since it’s so much easier to work with.  The HO has an interior decorator who will be making these decisions and I’ll find out when I get there.

Any other tips would be appreciated.  I’m already planning on 2-3 days for windows alone so any way to make this tedious task go faster would be very welcome.

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  1. ChipTam | Mar 10, 2007 04:41pm | #1

    I've done this once (on my own house).  The exterior sash was painted and the interior was stained and then varnished.  I used a water-based analine dye for the stain.  It was brushed on and I don't think I even used painter's tape on the glass.  You do have to be careful about drips but you can have a fair amount of control with a small brush.  Analine dye can fade over time when exposed to sun light but, in my case, I was using the stain only on interior surfaces and a porch sheltered these windows from direct sun.

    Chip Tam  

    1. DonCanDo | Mar 11, 2007 06:44pm | #2

      Thanks.  Anyone else have any experience with this?

  2. hipaul | Mar 11, 2007 07:21pm | #3

    I've done a lot of clear finishes on wood windows, mostly Fir here in the NW, and I wouldn't bother taping if I were you. Just like with paint, the tape usually wicks more liquid underneath it than it does protect the glass.
    Depending on what kind of finish/stain you're using it should be pretty easy to clean the glass. A little mineral spirits or the like will get most stuff off pretty quickly. Sometimes just rubbing a clean dry rag over the finish on the glass will pill it up and pull it off. I'm usually ragging on an oil/wax combo versus brushing something on, but if you're good with a brush (as it sounds like you are) you should be able to brush on stain just as easily as paint without getting much on the glass itself.
    You're right to think it's going to take a few days though, no matter how many times I finish windows and doors, it always takes longer than I think it should.

  3. hipaul | Mar 11, 2007 07:25pm | #4

    Oh yeah, ChipTam was right about watching the drips. If you're using a not-too-viscous liquid that is prone to dripping from the brush, I'd either paper off the bottom portions and do the top down, or do the bottom first and then work upwards so you have less chance of drips soaking in unevenly and leaving darker spots.

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