I used to think that stain and glaze gave painted furniture such a different look, but until recently I had never directly compared the two. I have used both techniques to age painted furniture and always thought that the two techniques were so different. Not to long ago a reader asked me what the difference was between the two and it inspired me to do a comparison. I was surprised by the results.
I painted two similar chairs the exact same shade of white, distressed both of them, and then used a glaze on one and a stain on the other. I used ebony stain and I mixed a small amount of black paint into a clear mixing glaze. To my suprise the two look almost identical. There are a few subtle differences in the appearance. The glaze leaves a faint streaked look, almost like brush strokes, while the stain leaves a very smooth finish. The reason for this is because the glaze actually sits on top of the paint, while the stain penetrates it. In the photograph below the glaze was used on the piece on the left.
The other slight difference can be seen in the recessed areas. The glaze seams to have stuck in the crevices better, making a sharper contrast that really draws your attention to the details. The chair that was glazed is on the left.
The finishes created aren’t much different, but there are some differences in the available options. The great thing about a translucent glaze is that you can mix it with any color you want, so the possibilities are endless. Stain is typically pretty limited as far as color choices go.
Another noticable difference is how easy glaze is to work with. Glaze is a great product for beginners because it is workable for so much longer than the stain is. Stain will tend to dry and get sticky a lot quicker than the glaze will. With glaze you have plenty of time to play with it until you’ve achieved the look you like.
The thing I really like about stain is that it drys hard and adds a protective finish. I don’t feel like you get that with a glaze. The other thing great about stain is the price. A quart of stain only costs about $8 while a quart of clear mixing glaze is about double that price.
Here are the two chairs side by side. Can you tell the difference?
9 Responses to Stain vs. Glaze
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Alchemy fine living is my antiques & home furnishings business. I'm Deana, the author of this blog. My mom Connie & I followed our dreams & opened our store in 2008. It's a collection of all the things she & I truly love. We combine antiques with new treasures, as well as, a selection of handcrafted items created by the two of us. We also offer custom sewing, re-upholstery, & furniture painting services.
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Thanks. I decided to glaze my buffet and it turned out beautifully. Now another question. Can I leave the mixture sit in a container for another use? Thanks Shelly
You sure can! Just make sure it is air tight and it should last for months.
I am going to paint a dresser for my sister with Old White Annie Sloan Paint and wanted to do the glaze/stain treatment. When I did a sample board the stain just soaked in and made it brownish everywhere. Not the look og the typical “glaze” look. Can you not do this with ASCP?? Thanks for the input.
I have never tried her paints, but I belive that they are flat. I usually do that technique over a satin or semi-gloss. Flat has a tendency to absorb things, so that might be why you are having trouble.
Is it possible to apply a protective finish such as wax or poly over a glaze?
Yes. You can use either. I prefer to use paste wax as a protective coat because I find that most clear coats, like polyurethane, eventually yellow.
Can you use a glaze as a protective finish? I recently used Benjamin Moores alkyd low luster enamel in Navajo White, with their alkyd glaze. I then distressed the cabinet edges to the fruitwood base. The finish has a mat finish that I like but it seams to pick- up markings and prints. Should I do a final coat of just glaze, use a clear coat, or use a wax. I don’t want something that is going to yellow with age. Additionally if I wanted to do the glazing that you did above; can I add stain to a glaze?
Thank you for the a wonderful tutorial for this process.
Suzanne, I use glaze as my final coat, but I use a glaze that is a semi gloss. Flat really isn’t an ideal finish for furniture. It will wear done quicker, is hard to wipe and keep clean, and as you have noticed picks up every hand print. I would recommend adding a paste wax to give you a protective finish that will resist water and scuffs. I don’t like any other clear finishes because, like you mention, they tend to yellow. As long as the glaze and stain are both water based products you could probably mix them, although I have never tried.