How to stain oak doors white?

[Toilet Duck]

Evening all,

Bought some internal oak glazed doors today. I'd planned to paint them white but it seems a waste as they have a beautiful grain. I thought about varnishing or staining them them but a dark colour really doesn't appeal to me. Is there a way to stain them white so that the grain still shows through?

Any advice much appreciated!

[FlossyThePig]

Have you thought about using liming wax? There are plenty of references on the internet.

[Toilet Duck]

FlossyThePig said:

Have you thought about using liming wax? There are plenty of references on the internet.

I shall have a google

Does this "seal" the wood? The "instructions" that came with each door strongly state that the doors must be sealed on all edges/faces prior to fitting. I don't know much about stains/varnishes and I've not had "proper" wood doors before, so Im really open to any advice.

Thanks for your reply, much appreciated

[JustinP1]

Osmo Tints White.

Looks like milk. The whiteness brings out the grain while the oils in it stops the subsequent oiling/waxing from darkening too much, the end result is a similar tone to the unfinished door but with more defined grain and a waterproof finish.

[OldSkoolRS]

You could simply oil them with a clear danish oil so the final finish is no darker than as if you'd wiped it with a damp cloth. There are lots of recommended types on here, I happened to use Colron Danish on my Oak doors, but there are other makes that include wax (I put a thin coat of clear wax on mine afterwards using wire wool for a nice soft smooth finish.

Definately don't paint them white...

[Toilet Duck]

JustinP1 said:

Osmo Tints White.

Looks like milk. The whiteness brings out the grain while the oils in it stops the subsequent oiling/waxing from darkening too much, the end result is a similar tone to the unfinished door but with more defined grain and a waterproof finish.

Sorry if I'm being thick, but does it actually make the doors "white" whilst still seeing the grain? I googled it and found the product you refer to but I still can't work it out.

OldSkoolRS said:

You could simply oil them with a clear danish oil so the final finish is no darker than as if you'd wiped it with a damp cloth. There are lots of recommended types on here, I happened to use Colron Danish on my Oak doors, but there are other makes that include wax (I put a thin coat of clear wax on mine afterwards using wire wool for a nice soft smooth finish.

Definately don't paint them white...

Coincidentally, I've got some Danish oil coming this week (arriving with some dark walnut kitchen worktops). The thing is, the door frames are all white so I don't know if they would look "right" against a non-white door? However, the four doors I've bought are going in a hallway that has dark solid oak flooring, so maybe they would look ok? I know its all down to personal taste but I'm crap at deciding this sort of stuff.

[JustinP1]

Toilet Duck said:

JustinP1 said:

Osmo Tints White.

Looks like milk. The whiteness brings out the grain while the oils in it stops the subsequent oiling/waxing from darkening too much, the end result is a similar tone to the unfinished door but with more defined grain and a waterproof finish.

Sorry if I'm being thick, but does it actually make the doors "white" whilst still seeing the grain? I googled it and found the product you refer to but I still can't work it out.

They ain't going to look like painted white, but the Tints lighten and whiten the colour of the wood. Two coats lighter still.

But whist more water resistant, ideally you want more sealing. I used Osmo Door oil.

They look good with white door frames. Trust me. If you want the grain and colour of oak you really are ruining it by changing that too much.

If you really want white, I've not used this but been recommended it:

http://www.fiddes.co.uk/content/hard-wax-oil.html

[Toilet Duck]

JustinP1 said:

Toilet Duck said:

JustinP1 said:

Osmo Tints White.

Looks like milk. The whiteness brings out the grain while the oils in it stops the subsequent oiling/waxing from darkening too much, the end result is a similar tone to the unfinished door but with more defined grain and a waterproof finish.

Sorry if I'm being thick, but does it actually make the doors "white" whilst still seeing the grain? I googled it and found the product you refer to but I still can't work it out.

They ain't going to look like painted white, but the Tints lighten and whiten the colour of the wood. Two coats lighter still.

But whist more water resistant, ideally you want more sealing. I used Osmo Door oil.

They look good with white door frames. Trust me. If you want the grain and colour of oak you really are ruining it by changing that too much.

If you really want white, I've not used this but been recommended it:

http://www.fiddes.co.uk/content/hard-wax-oil.html

Thanks for more info

What do you use first, the Osmo Tints White or the Osmo Door Oil? Again, sorry if this is a stupid question.

[OldSkoolRS]

Toilet Duck said:

Coincidentally, I've got some Danish oil coming this week (arriving with some dark walnut kitchen worktops). The thing is, the door frames are all white so I don't know if they would look "right" against a non-white door? However, the four doors I've bought are going in a hallway that has dark solid oak flooring, so maybe they would look ok? I know its all down to personal taste but I'm crap at deciding this sort of stuff.

I debated this myself for a while, but as replacing the door frame and architrave with Oak versions would be major work and hassle I went with white frames against the Oak. As you say it's personal taste, but I think that it looks fine. It might help that the skirting is either Oak or Travertine and only the door frame/architrave is white. See attached pictures in different rooms with and without the matching Oak flooring.

[singlecoil]

This may sound daft, but if you paint them with Dulux Vinyl Silk (will take 3 coats to get a good finish) you will still see the grain, I know because my kitchen doors are painted this way, and the ash veneer shows through.

[Blakeatron]

We are doing a lot of grain effect finishes at the moment. To get a solid white you will have to use a paint, to get a sun bleached effect then my prefered finish would be polyvine white liquid wax.

You brush it on, let it dry and buff it up. 2-3 coats will give a nice finish, but it will never form a solid colour (even 10+ coats)

Personally I think they will look a bit rubbish and you will really cheapen the look. My choice would be clear oiled (danish) doors with a white or linen coloured frame and architrave.

[aberdeeneuan]

Our oak doors are sealed just to bring the grain through, and they look great against the white frames.

[JustinP1]

Toilet Duck said:

JustinP1 said:

Toilet Duck said:

JustinP1 said:

Osmo Tints White.

Looks like milk. The whiteness brings out the grain while the oils in it stops the subsequent oiling/waxing from darkening too much, the end result is a similar tone to the unfinished door but with more defined grain and a waterproof finish.

Sorry if I'm being thick, but does it actually make the doors "white" whilst still seeing the grain? I googled it and found the product you refer to but I still can't work it out.

They ain't going to look like painted white, but the Tints lighten and whiten the colour of the wood. Two coats lighter still.

But whist more water resistant, ideally you want more sealing. I used Osmo Door oil.

They look good with white door frames. Trust me. If you want the grain and colour of oak you really are ruining it by changing that too much.

If you really want white, I've not used this but been recommended it:

http://www.fiddes.co.uk/content/hard-wax-oil.html

Thanks for more info

What do you use first, the Osmo Tints White or the Osmo Door Oil? Again, sorry if this is a stupid question.

Tints first, then the Door Oil.

The Door Oil is actually oil and wax all in one. Consistency of motor oil. The oil permeates and darkens a little making counterpoint to the whitened grain, and the wax hardens over 8 hours or so (in the summer) to a satin finish.

The stuff itself says only for internal use, but I was so impressed with it I put a single coat on a set of bare wood external doors. Looks like new a year later and water just beads off like glass.

[Toilet Duck]

Cheers for all the information gents, and thanks for the pics OldSkoolRS

I'll have a closer look at the products mentioned. I might actually scrap my original plan and go with a dark stain/varnish after all as I think the comments about ruining the door turning it white are valid. If I darken them to the same shade as the wooden floor I think that might look better, even with the white doorframes/skirtingboards.

Thanks again, much appreciated.