Staining, sealing, oiling and clear-coating wood: product choice, application and fixes for common finish problems.
The best wood for a clear finish depends on what you want the finished piece to look like. A clear coat does not make every species look pale and neutral: it usually deepens color, brings out grain, and can turn light wood amber. Some boards also blotch, darken unevenly, or Read more
The best wood depends on the stain For most stained indoor stair treads, red oak is the safest all-around choice: it is strong, widely available, and its open grain takes many stains predictably. White oak is similarly durable, with a tighter-looking grain and a more muted appearance. If you want Read more
A good California olive oil should taste like something alive—grassy, peppery, faintly bitter at the finish—rather than the flat, waxy liquid that passes for “extra virgin” on a lot of supermarket shelves. The problem is that the label alone tells you almost nothing. A bottle can say extra virgin and Read more
Stainless steel cutting boards sit in an awkward middle ground: they are more durable than plastic and easier to sanitize than wood, but most buyers hit the same wall of questions before clicking “add to cart.” What gauge of steel should I expect? Will it dull my knives? Does the Read more
I have ruined more fences than I care to admit. The first time I switched from a brush to an electric paint sprayer, I oversaturated a cedar deck so badly that the finish pooled and cured with visible drips. The second time, I picked a unit that clogged within twenty Read more