- Overview
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This stain features the low-odor and easy cleanup of water-based stains, while emulating the easy spreading, blending, repairability and generous open times of oil-based stains. The blend of high-quality dyes and pigments provides rich, even color, and the heavier bodied formula allows controlled penetration, reducing blotching on hard-to-stain woods such as Aspen, Pine and Maple. Non-flammable and free of harsh chemicals and toxic vapors. Ideal for use with children’s toys and furniture.
- Apply liberally with a foam brush or a paint pad applicator.
- Dry time is normally 2-4 hours under ideal conditions (70°F, 70% humidity).
- Cooler temperatures/higher humidity will prolong dry time up to 8-10 hours.
- If necessary, thin with 10-20% water.
- Coverage: 150 sq. ft. per quart.
EF Extender(#80728) is used to open or increase the dry time of water base stains and finishes. Use EF Extender when conditions are extremely hot or dry. Also when staining a large project EF Extender helps provide more working time.
Note:Simply mix 10% to 15% (3-5 fl. oz. per qt.) of EF Extender with any water base stain or finish and mix well.
Learn to transform quality unfinished furniture into treasured heirlooms using General Finishes water base finishes step-by-step instruction video!
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Customer Reviews and Photos for:
EF Wood Stains
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Average Rating:
3.7
(19 customer reviews)
$12.59
Add your review...
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1) Submitted by
Keith Miller, from Grafton, WI
on 8/15/2011
Customer Rating: 
Ok, so I thought I would try the water-based stain brown mahogony. I built a project that was supposed to have a craftsman/victorian/art deco type of appeal and appearance. I found using the water-based stain on the large areas sides of cabinet very difficult due to the open drying time. It left brush strokes and blotches even when applying in small sections and immediately wiping. I put the product on very liberally and even tried to do the whole side and the immediately wipe but still no much success. The small areas covered great. So, I sanded the stain off the sides and then purchased the gel-based in brown mahogony and I got the two tone affect shown in the photo. I am very pleased with the two tone and absolutely loved working with the gel based stain. So in the end, both products worked out for me. If you are going to use the water-based product, definitely also purchase the Extender to increase the open time and I'm sure you'll have great results. As a side note, I also purchased the Van Dyke Brown glaze but opted out of using it since I liked the appearance I achieved with the other two stains. Good luck and happy woodworking.
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2) Submitted by
Carlos, from Litchfieldpark, AZ
on 4/2/2011
Customer Rating: 
First time I've used this product and am very pleased. I like that it is waterbased and am amazed at how easy it is to use. I can't testify to durability, but I think it will be just fine. The Espresso color was a perfect match. However, use caution sanding in between finish coats, it's easy to remove color on wood edges and corners. Still, it's a great product.
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3) Submitted by
Kevin, from La Crosse, WI
on 1/25/2013
Customer Rating: 
My first go with water-based stain. I am using the Antique Cherry on maple for doors, trim and millwork in my basement theater and man-cave. The color is OK but may have a bit too much of a pink tone. I thought this product would take a long time to dry because it is water-based. I was wrong. It has almost no open time which made finishing doors and cabinets a real challenge. I found that I could remove the dark blotches by misting the area with water and scrubbing hard with my wiping cloth. After re-applying the stain and wiping immediately, I was able to even it out. Overall, I was only able to obtain 'acceptable' results with a lot of care and effort. Easy clean-up and environmental friendliness are pluses but I think I'll stick with oil and dyes for now.
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4) Submitted by
C from AR
on 2/17/2011
Customer Rating:
When my favorite stain was no longer available, I purchased this stain in Espresso and was not disappointed. The color is dark and rich, easy to apply and to clean up! I really love it!!
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5) Submitted by
Dan, from Stuart, FL.
on 2/5/2011
Customer Rating: 
The color was was exactly what I was looking for. The stain dried very quickly during application which made it a little difficult on a larger project.
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6) Submitted by
Dennis Mohler, from Athens, OH
on 12/17/2010
Customer Rating:
I used the whitewash stain on a Christmas craft project. It thinned down well by adding water and produced the whitewashed effect I was trying to achieve.
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7) Submitted by
Roger Winters, from Lynch Station, VA
on 3/13/2010
Customer Rating:
This is the 2nd EF stain I've ordered and used. Works very well. Unlike others you don't let it sit, you put it on and wipe it off one section of your project at a time.
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8) Submitted by
Bill, from Smithville, MO
on 3/6/2009
Customer Rating:
I wanted a black, BLACK color for the piece and this stain provided it. I applied 3 coats with a foam brush and no wiping and very light sanding between coats. Drying time is very short. It's easy to apply and clean up. The gel consistency makes it very easy to control. Highly recommend.
AVcabinet
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9) Submitted by
Brett Escott, from Las Vegas, NV
on 7/16/2008
Customer Rating:
I looked everywhere for an espresso colored stain and found this. It Worked Great!!! I am not very experienced in finishing woods but the color was perfect and the project turned out great.
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10) Submitted by
Albert Monares, from Newton, KS
on 6/8/2008
Customer Rating:
Coverage is very good with first coat, and cleanup is even better.
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11) Submitted by
Nick, from Rising Sun, MD
on 4/12/2010
Customer Rating:
I was very hard for me to find an espresso wood stain until I found this site. I am a novice wood finisher and I got to say I prefer working with oil base stains versus water based. The color was great, but the product dried too fast for me and also did not penetrate to my liking. A light sanding removed some of the stain and I had to touch it up. The project turned out great, but will try to stick to oil based stains if I can. However clean up was a easy. I did like that.
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12) Submitted by
Nick , from Buffalo, NY
on 8/22/2008
Customer Rating:
I was looking everywhere for this color stain! I am very satisfied with the results... it looks like the finish on all the popular new furniture out there. The best part is that an unfinished furniture store wanted to charge me $40 and I got it online with shipping for about $15. Great value, great stain!
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13) Submitted by
Tim McMahon, from Troy, MI
on 10/24/2009
Customer Rating:
I used this stain on a oak table top . It really made the grain stand up. Followed up with GF sanding sealer. Even light sanding with 400 started taking of the stain. Very poor penetration. Wish they made their oil base stain in the expresso.
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14) Submitted by
Sally, from Rutherford, FL
on 7/12/2010
Customer Rating:
Went on very easily, wiped off just as well. Be careful to wipe before it dries, or you will end up with a patch of dark color. Only thing I didn't love is that a second coat didn't seem to add any additional color. Purchased Walnut, wanting to do two coats, hoping for something between "Walnut" and "Espresso/Rosewood", ie just a bit darker than Walnut but not as dark as the others. However, doing a 2nd coat actually did not change the overall color in any noticeable way. So all in all, nice to work with, but don't expect to be able to do multiple coats for a darker color.
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15) Submitted by
J Mobley
on 3/8/2011
Customer Rating:
Its darker than I hoped and it dries really fast so its hard to handle over large areas and I find it hard to feather in sections. Maybe its me but I need more open time.
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16) Submitted by
Gary Frost, from Fayetteville, GA
on 12/3/2010
Customer Rating: 
I just finished using the Golden Oak on a 9"x30" clear pine drawer unit. Preceded the stain application by using Minwax wood conditioner applied 24 hours in advance. Maybe my can of stain was defective as when opened the material looked just like a full baby diaper. No amount of stirring could liquefy this product. I applied this with a cloth and used a liberal amount, but the stain dried before it could be wiped down. Very blotchy result and subsequent application would not even out the stain. Needless to say, the finish on this project is ruined! good thing this isn't for a customer. It would be impossible to use this product on large surfaces with any hope of acceptable results.
Pine is the most difficult to stain wood anyway and this stain makes the job even more difficult. I will not be using this line in the future as the results were very disappointing.
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17) Submitted by
J Whit, from Chino , CA
on 2/12/2011
Customer Rating:
Novice to water based stains....oil base is a easier to work with except for clean up.
Pro: Deep Espresso color is beautiful, 2 coats over poplar.
Con: More paint like than stain like. Dries fast, difficult to wipe into grain before it dries....maybe add water or EF extender though my shop was only 70 degrees.
Used General Finishes "high performance top coat" over this. It lifted some stain from wood dried 48 hours before top coat and revealed light spots where stain was removed. Very frustrating! Insufficient penetration?? Used foam brush for top coat and kept it to one or two brush strokes only, but still it lifted the stain!!
Have not had this problem with oil based stains and top coats. Maybe I will try Dyes instead.
The color was so beautiful, I am willing to try this again. Hard to beat oil stain and lacquer top coat for results however.
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18) Submitted by
Rod Perry, from Ogden, UT
on 11/23/2011
Customer Rating:
The Dark Cherry EF Color is the only stain I can find that is close to the previous work that I am matching. This is a very easy product to work with, so long as you do not have lots of wiping, corners, notches, etcdoors with molding, for example. I have had a difficult time keeping it open long enough to cleanly wipe all the stain off. And I have reduced the stain with EF extender. So for flat surfaces and small projects, jump in. For anything with any detail, go with oil based.
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19) Submitted by
Ray Thorne, from Greenbank, WA
on 11/19/2007
Customer Rating:
This is my first experience with General Finishes EF Water Based Wood Stains. I ran out of another brand of water based wood stain, and could no longer find it available.(Clear Water Color Co. Smooth & Simple) So, I used this product as a substitute because I was in a pinch, and decided to try it.
This product was just as good, and went on very smoothly. I had good results using both a brush and a wiping cloth to apply it. The penetration was good, and the color looks very nice. I like the General Finishes color pallette.
I do traditional hand finishing and refinishing of furniture. I use oil stains, NGR stains, gel stains, and water based anilines often.
I would rate this product as very good, and worthy of trying. The application with these types of stains is slower than oil stains or NGR stains, but you can blend and control the color quite easily. The consistency is not as thick as a true gel stain, but is about the consistency of sour cream or yogurt.
It dries down in about 2 hours, and looks warm and rich. This would make a nice stain for furniture or woodwork by itself, or a nice base color over which to glaze, shade, tone, etc. It's compatible with most any type of finish. In this case I'm applying an oil based poly over it, and it looks fine.
This product is probably best suited for smaller to mid sized projects. Covering a large surface area evenly, such as a big table top would be difficult. Use a good sized brush, lots of rags, and work quickly if you do. I'm currently using it on a small end table/plant stand.
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