Minwax Wood Finish Early American #230 Review

Overall 5.00 of 5 (by 1 user)

BayouBengal
Liberty, MS

Minwax Wood Finish Stains and Seals Unfinshed Wood

Homeowner, doing odd jobs around the house, Ms. Fix-it, value conscious, a busy person

Pros

Easy to use, Seals unfinished wood, Protects wood

Cons

Fumes

NOV

2008

Minwax Wood Finish Early American #230 —

When we moved into our new house, one of the things that the previous owners never got around to doing was staining the kitchen cabinets. All the cabinets were new and an island was added to the center of the kitchen that also contained cabinets and a bar on the opposite side. I had a lot of unfinished wood that just looked ugly and I wanted them all stained before the holidays. I tackled this project earlier this month and finished just in time for my cousin's visit from Atlanta and Thanksgiving the following week. I chose Minwax Wood Finish in Early American as the choice for my cabinets. They turned out pretty good and I am pleased with the finished product! My kitchen looks entirely different now and much better!

Minwax Wood Finish Early American

Minwax Wood Finish Early American stain comes in various size cans. I chose a 32 oz. can that retailed for about $6.97. This size can will treat 150 square feet of wood. The Early American finish is medium colored stain with a rustic look to it. It compliments the natural wood grain as it penetrates the wood surface. It also seals the wood to keep other substances from staining the wood and leaving marks.

How to Apply & Tips

Before applying the stain, you will first need to condition your wood. If there are any uneven surfaces these areas will need to be lightly sanded down. Next you will want to wipe the surface areas of your wood off with a dry cloth. Let the wood breath and dry completely before starting your project. You will want to choose a dry and sunny day with a low humidity for staining.

You will need a foam brush for applying the stain. Select a brush size that will compliment the surface area. For large areas, you may want a two inch brush. For trim work a one inch or 1/2 inch brush will work best. Using the correct products will give your finished job a better look and also make the task much easier.

Before starting your stain job, place a dropcloth on the floor under the area where you will be working. This will save you time in cleaning up drips and/or spills.

Read the directions on your stain before starting. Some stains should not be shaken. If you shake the can, it will cause bubbles that will be transferred to our wood surfaces. Test a hidden area to make sure this is the color of stain you want. Remember that you can apply another coat of stain to darken it.

Be sure to use a foam brush and do not get too much stain on the brush when you dip it into the stain. If you do, it will just run down the wood surface and cause a mess. You will also need to be prepared to check over your work to see if the stain is settling into any ledges in your woodwork. I had grooves in my cabinet doors that I have to babysit and go over several times to remove excess stain.

You should also allow for a couple of days for Minwax Wood Finish Early American stain to dry thoroughly.

Keep this product out of reach of children and pets. The fumes can be harmful and the product harmful in ingested.

Final Thoughts and Recommendation

This little project took me two Saturdays to complete. Living in the south, we have some weird weather. When I started the project it was warm enough to open the door and ventilate the area. The following week when I finished the project it was freezing and ventilating the room was not an all day event. Make sure you can open a window or door to let the fumes out.

I ended up putting on two coats of Minwax Wood Finish Early American stain. The color deepened with the second coat and the color that I was looking for. I was very pleased with the finished project and happy that the job is now done and over with. I was happy that this was done before the holidays and company coming over from out of state. When I think back on what the cabinets looked like before, it is amazing what a small $7 can of stain can do! I highly recommend Minwax Wood Finish Early American.

Minwax Wood Finish Early American #230 is recommended by BayouBengal

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Comments about BayouBengal’s Review

In response to TunefulGal's comment from Apr 29, 2009 at 4:52AM:

I think you will be pleased with the results if you use Minwax :) I've done a couple of jobs with it and they have all turned out well!

It's now April, but -- as I work on my kitchen -- I'm really appreciating your Minwax review. I know I'll come back and read it again before I touch my foam brush to wood. Great review!