Getting 2nd coat of (Sadolin) woodstain to stick - any tips?

[Simon Stroud]

After putting it off for several years I finally got the urge to re-stain the garage doors. So I spent a whole day last weekend sanding and then washing down the rather old wood and previous finish. Then I applied the first coat of Sadolin "Quick Drying Woodstain" (one of the water-based ones). Unfortunately I didn't stir it enough so the first part of the tin was very runny and the second much thicker, so one door is much better than the other after one coat.

Today (i.e. 1 week later) I tried to apply a second coat (a new tin, and stirred thoroughly this time - lesson learnt). However it seems that the excellent water-repellent properties of the first coat make the second coat all "shrink away" like trying to paint over a waxy surface. Not sure how I'm ever going to get this second coat to stick properly! Anyway it started raining and I had only done a bit so I scrubbed it all off and went indoors to sulk.

Any tips on how to get it to stick? I've never seen another paint product where you can't even put another coat on!

Thanks, Simon.

[Andy Hall]

The mistake is in using water based products. I have never had success with recoating with water based preservatives. Even the first treatments are not that great in terms of protection quality and longevity. As you say, there is a waxy result and this does not seem to be a good solution unless you take the whole lot off before recoating and that is a lot of work.

I have always used solvent based wood preservatives and in Sadolin's range I use the original Classic product as a first coat either on new wood or for recoating where there is bare wood. Depending on the application, I use further coats of Classic or the Supercoat which is a heavier product and intended for large surface areas.

Given the situation that you have now, I would take the whole lot off with Nitromors and start again with solvent based products. It will cost a little more, but last three times as long and you won't have these problems to deal with

[Peter Johnson]

If you think you should be able to apply two coats, ie it implies that you can on the tin, get in touch with your local branch of Crown Decorator Centres, owned by the same company as Sadolin, and get someone to have a look at it (or ring the cusomer support number on the tin). If they are satisfied that its been correctly applied you might get some free paint.

[Stuart Noble]

Try rubbing down a small area with wire wool and white spirit. The wax (or whatever the repellent is) should be soluble in that and, if so, the wire wool will absorb it. The acrylic resin itself won't be soluble but often the repellent is a separate ingredient that precipitates on to the surface during drying,. If that's even halfway successful, try rubbing the Sadolin on sparingly with a rag till it "takes". Stripping would be a last resort for me, and only if the doors were in good condition. Otherwise I might paint them. A solvent based undercoat might well dissolve the repellent without preparation.