Stain and Paint - What's the Difference?
Definitions and descriptions concerning the distinction between stain and paint. October 26, 2007
Question
What is the difference between stain and paint? I read that stain will penetrate the wood surface, but paint is a film layer on the wood surface and will not penetrate. Is this the only difference?
Forum Responses
(Finishing Forum)
From contributor G:
Nope - you can generally see the wood through stain, but paint is opaque. And stain is made of different materials, and applied differently. And used for different reasons on different materials. Come to think of it, there's not much similarity between them.
From contributor R:
It's possible to take a paint and thin it with the appropriate solvent. Depending on how much you thin it, it's possible to create a stain from a paint. Milk paints, oil based paints, and even latexes make good stains. Thinned down lacquers can work too.
From contributor B:
Let's take two types of solvent based, not water based, stain - pigmented stain and dye stain. Dye stain has very small particles of color (and is generally sprayed, but can be brushed if you have the skills and technique). The color particles actually are in a solvent solution. Pigmented stains are larger particles and are suspended in a solvent solution. Difference is like this... In solution, as salt dissolved in water is in solution, and will not need stirring again once dissolved - that would be the dye stain. In suspension would be like pebbles stirred in water - they will settle to the bottom and need to be stirred constantly or at least repeatedly. That would be pigmented stain. If it sits a while there is much stirring to do.
You can make your own by using asphaltum in mineral spirits. Also you can use a measure of paint in mineral spirits as well. I personally don't like making my own stains because I need the consistency that comes from the types sold by Campbell's and other companies. Water based stains work the same, I just do not use them.
So to actually answer your question, you can take a tablespoon or more of paint and dissolve it in mineral spirits to use as a stain, I guess.
From the original questioner:
Thanks. Actually, I'm translating a wood finishing chapter and I'm wondering how I can differ between the words paint and stain. I think that I should use this sentence for stain: a penetrating and also transparent paint is actually stain. I know the kind of stain I mean - I read it in the book - pigmented or semi-transparent stain... And I just want to know how I can differ between the two words in my translation.
From contributor G:
Had you asked for definitions, you'd likely have gotten different answers.
Paint: –noun
A substance composed of solid coloring matter suspended in a liquid medium and applied as a protective or decorative coating to various surfaces, or to canvas or other materials in producing a work of art.
Stain: -noun
A liquid substance applied especially to wood that penetrates the surface and imparts a rich color.
Note the "especially to wood" part in the stain definition and the "various surfaces" part in the paint definition.
