Can Finished Wood Be Stained?

There are two types of products available for coloring already-finished wood: Gel Stain, and Poly-Stain Combo Products. Gel stain is actually a type of stain that works well on unfinished soft woods, but also doubles as a stain that can tint finished wood.

Can you stain directly over finished wood?

If the object you're hoping to stain has been sealed with a topcoat, you won't be able to restain it, but you can go over it with a coating or a colored stain blend. As an alternative, you could color the wood with an oil-based paint, but the opacity of the oil-based paints can hide the grains.

Can you stain over varnished wood without sanding?

It is possible to apply stain over varnish. Since the purpose of a stain is to stain – or penetrate – the wood surface, once varnish has been applied, you can't expect the same results you would get from applying stain to unvarnished wood. ...