Alter Color Wood at www.japanese-home-gardens.com

All finishes alter color wood the color of wood to some extent, and some woods - Mahogany and walnut, for example - turn much darker even when a completely clear finish is applied. An approximate idea of the color wood will take on when treated with a clear finish can be seen by dampening a small area with ordinary water. If this color is too light for your needs, then the wood can be stained before finishing. It is only possible to stain wood to a darker color; for a lighter shade it must be bleached.

Using lime to alter color wood the color of wood is a traditional technique stretching back hundreds of years. Like staining (see opposite), pickling alter color woods the color of the underlying surface without obliterating its most attractive feature, which is the grain of the wood. It can be applied to a Floor which is stained with color, giving a very attractive finish over blues and greens.

The final finish may be of a type that gives a surface film, such as French polish, varnish, or polyurethane. The latter two are available in gloss, satin, and matte finishes. Varnish stains are also available. These are convenient, since they will color and finish the wood in a single operation. Do bear in mind that each extra coat of varnish stain will darken the color of the wood and, unless brushed out very evenly, the color will vary with the thickness of the film. When wood is stained with a penetrating dye, the color will not vary - no matter how many coats of clear finish you later apply.