Varathane 349560 Premium Gel Stain, Half Pint, Dark Walnut

I used this gel stain on our staircase, and I’m so impressed with the results! The “before” stairs were worn and uneven in color, but after applying this stain, the wood looks rich, even, and revitalized. It really brought the staircase back to life and exceeded my expectations. The gel formula was easy to apply with a brush or rag, and it went on smoothly without streaking. Cleanup was simple, and the finish dried beautifully. I love how it enhanced the natural grain of the wood and gave a professional look without the hassle of sanding down completely. Pros: – Rich, even color that looks professional – Easy to apply and blend – Enhances natural wood grain – Dries beautifully with minimal streaks Cons: – Needs a little patience for multiple coats on darker colors Overall, this gel stain transformed my stairs. The “before and after” difference is incredible—I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to refresh wood surfaces.

OMG..... I love this gel stain! I used this for 6 interior doors and 2 built-in desks for a total transformation of our business office. This DIY project took my old shabby looking oak to a new modern look with this amazing black gel stain. It was much thicker than I had imagined, making it ultimately easier to work with, a quart goes a long way and I did find using a rag to apply was the best method for this gel stain. It dried fairly quickly, I applied two coats and the coverage was AMAZING! This was one of a 3 step process that I used to complete my project but this was the major part of the project and the finish look is incredible. I am very please with the outcome and very worth the small investment.

I am a scenic artist for theater and use this frequently. First I use it on old furniture to make it look new again. Secondly I use it to faux finish anything to make it look like wood. This floor: cardboard! Those beams: foam! That table: had a horribly worn finish and low looks new. It takes a few days to fully cure and it is worth the wait! Stain and finish in one! I love this product.

Nice quality but small amount. It does go far, if you are using on a previously painted item, for a faux wood look. It does take a long time to dry, but it's a nice color and did what I needed it to do. I have repurchase it twice now. So I would obviously recommend it.

Great product. You can use this on any material almost. Dries quickly to the touch in cooler areas. In my garage in Florida it took a long time, so I had to bring it inside. I put an oil based polyurethane with a brush. That’s why it’s shiny. The color I found to be really rich. The stain goes a long way.

This stain is a very rich stain. It is easy to use. It does not run like the regular wood stain. Clean up requires the use of mineral spirit. I used Dollar Tree brushes for a faux wood finish. It takes 24 hours or longer for the stain to cure correctly for good durability. In my experience, the drying time took longer than the listed dry time on the can. It maybe due to the amount of stain that I applied to my projects but I love the end results. I sealed it with a water-based polyurethane. The price is about the same as Home Depot or Walmart. This product is versatile. It can be applied to an existing stain project for refresh the look.

I got the dark walnut because I was afraid anything else would be too light or too red for this piece. I was trying to preserve the original color as much as I could while covering all the surface scratches. I did sand it down a little before starting because the scratches were so deep on the top. As you can see it did a great job. I had to slap it on real fast because of course right when I started the pot fell out of my hand. I don’t have the workspace or the time right now to do proper projects so it was good to have something that could go on quickly and easily to make the dresser pretty again. I did use a water soaked foam brush so that the stain would go on lighter otherwise it’s basically paint and I didn’t want to completely cover the old stain color. If you have the option to do it right definitely get acetone to thin this stuff cause gel and water don’t mix. (I know it’s a crime against all refinishing to have used water like this but it worked somehow.) So it looks great until I can refinish her properly in a few years.

I did a light sanding and it turned out great. Matches my other bedroom furniture now.