Best Overall Wood Stain Varathane Premium Fast Dry Wood Stain. W hen looking for the best stain for pine, oil-based stains might not spring to mind. Many oil-based stains dry slowly, are difficult ...

Consumer Reports has expert tips on how to apply wood stain to decks, ... CR’s engineers apply two coats to pine boards, then place them on the roof of our headquarters in Yonkers, N.Y.

To evaluate exterior wood stains, CR’s test engineers apply two coats to pine boards and place the boards on the roof of our headquarters in Yonkers, N.Y.

Picking the right wood stain means considering, the type of wood, ... Woods like pine are prone to blotching and tend do better with gel stains, which help provide a more even coating.

Different wood densities: Wood types with a porous grain like pine, birch, or cherry naturally absorb stain unevenly. Skipping wood conditioner : Some woods require a pre-stain conditioner to ...