How do you stain a louvered door?

Staining a louvered door can be difficult because of the horizontal slats. Stain your louvered door using stain, polyurethane, sandpaper, tack cloth, gloves, an old rag, a stir stick, a drop cloth, an angled paint brush and a ladder.

1. Protect the area

   Lay down a drop cloth to protect your floor.

2. Gather your materials

   Gather a jar of stain in the color of your choice, waterborne polyurethane, 120- and 180-grit sandpaper, tack cloth, an old rag, latex or other disposable gloves, a stir stick, an angled paint brush, and a ladder.

3. Prepare the door

   Sand the door lightly with sandpaper. Remove the dust with your tack cloth.

4. Stain the door

   Stir the stain to mix the color. Brush the stain on the door with the angled paint brush. Stain with the grain of the wood.

5. Wipe off excess stain

   Allow the stain to sit for 5 to 15 minutes. The longer the stain sits, the deeper the color. Wipe off excess stain with an old rag. Wipe the door again to even out the color of the stain.

6. Apply additional coats

   Apply additional coats as desired to achieve a darker look. Wipe off excess stain between coats.

7. Allow the stain to dry

   Let the stain air dry.

8. Apply the polyurethane

   Stir the polyurethane. Apply it to the door with your paint brush in single strokes. Let the polyurethane dry for an hour.

9. Sand the door

   Sand the door with 180-grit sandpaper. Remove dust with a tack cloth. Apply a second coat of polyurethane.