Thanks goes out to www.winerackstore.com. Today I learned they use our Daly’s Waterborne Wood Stain for their extensive selection of wine racks. Cheers!

Volunteers staining the Seattle Ronald McDonald playhouse

About Ronald McDonald House:

The Seattle Ronald McDonald House provides housing to families who are going through a difficult time while caring for a seriously ill child who is receiving treatment at Seattle Children’s. In 2008, we provided 28,000 nights of housing to nearly 1,000 families.

These families come to us from throughout the Northwest, Alaska and beyond. Most arrive with their lives having suddenly been turned upside down, filled with fear, confusion and uncertainty. Most can’t afford housing,

The swing gets a fresh coat of Daly's Stain to keep the playground looking good!

And that’s where the House comes in, providing these families with a home filled with community, support  – and hope.

Ta-Da! The new coat of Daly's Stain will keep the playhouse looking good for a long time.

Daly's Custom Stain Match

At Daly’s we are known for our stain matching skills. In Seattle, Paule is our color guru. She can make a beautiful color from just about anything.

Here the inspiration is from a Pratt & Lambert paint chip. The customer is going to be staining some outdoor Adirondack chairs. As you can see, these chairs are going to be statement pieces!

Nicely done, Paule!

If you need a custom stain color, Daly’s offers this custom service for $20, plus the cost of stain.

Here’s the Process:

We need a sample of what you are matching, plus a sample of wood that will be used in the project (Mother Nature, in her infinite wisdom, has created each species of wood to accept stain differently, so we need an actual piece of wood for color accuracy)

Oftentimes a coat of Daly’s Benite needs to be applied at least 24 hours before the scheduled match. Benite helps to let the stain absorb evenly in porous wood. Check with us to determine if this is needed. It can also be done here at the shop, but we must allow for the 24 hour drying period.

Turnaround ranges anywhere from a couple of days to a week. The match schedule is maintianed as a first come, first served service – so please allow yourself enough time when planning your project.

If you ever have any questions, give us a call! In Seattle (206) 633-4200 and Bellevue (425) 454-3093.

Click on the Benite can to see the video!

Our friends at Shearer Painting dropped by the other day and put together this fun clip about Daly’s Benite. Of course, once John Shearer got us talking, we didn’t want to stop!

In case you are wondering, here’s a little information about Benite:

What are the Benefits of Using a Wood Conditioner like Daly’s Benite?  

A wood conditioner is a product you apply before the stain or finish coat on a project – whether its new millwork or refinishing a vintage chest, using a wood conditioner can really affect the outcome and make all the difference between a project that’s spotty and uneven to one that’s professional-grade finish work.

By deeply penetrating into the cellular structure of the wood, wood conditioners harden the wood itself which allows stains to leave a more even color.  At Daly’s, we’ve built our reputation on a product we manufacture called Benite. Daly’s Beniteis great for both interior and exterior projects; it actually hardens the cellular structure of the wood by 10-15%. Benite does not leave a surface film; it won’t crack, chalk, blister or peel.  One great feature of Benite is that it minimizes the possibility of grain raising, which is important when creating a smooth finish.

Benite is very simple to apply, simply brush or rag onto bare wood, let sit a few minutes and wipe off any excess.  Depending upon the scope of work, it can be sprayed, rolled, brushed or wiped on.  You always want to let Benite dry a minimum of 24 hours before applying stain or finish.  Benite is compatible with both oil or water-based stains and finishes.

Lately, we’ve been seeing a lot more wood that comes from newer-growth forests.  Because the wood hasn’t been exposed to the same rigors as old-growth wood, it produces a grain that is less dense and more open.  When faced with this situation we strongly recommend two applications of Benite before doing any staining to minimize blotching and unevenness.

You can find Daly’s Benite at a number of independent paint and hardware stores in the Pacific Northwest; there’s even a handy Dealer Locator on the Daly’s website.  If you have any questions on stains or wood finishes, we welcome your call. You can reach us at 1-800-735-7019 or info@dalyspaint.com.

Want to learn more about Shearer Painting? You can find them on the web or call (206) 431-3606 to learn about their services.

Daly’s Benite is one of the cornerstone products in the Daly’s Wood Finishing line and used in a variety of situations. In this video, Mike, Daly’s Bellevue Store Manager, shows you tips and tricks to using Daly’s Benite and getting the best results for your project.

Sadly, this information was sent to us totally anonymously, and I have no way to personally thank the customer.

I’d like to add that it’s totally cool to see some old Daly’s literature. And to think that someone saved this stuff for so long!

Okay. Stain on tile. Is the tile sealed or unsealed? Does it have a glazed finish or is it more porous? The reason I ask is that we want to take the approach of doing the least amount of harm possible to try and remedy the situation, and believe it or not, but an unglazed tile might actually fare better in this situation.

I am guessing that good old soap and water did nothing. So, the next step is to try a product called Krud Kutter. This is my favorite miracle product. You might see some de-glossing of the finish – that is always the risk, but this stuff can work wonders. I use it for a myriad of cleaning tasks – and its non-toxic.

If that doesn’t work, your next option is to try paint thinner. Again, we are starting from least harmful steps first. A nylon scrub pad and the paint thinner might be just the ticket.
If THAT doesn’t work, you could try lacquer thinner, but you will definitely be affecting the tile itself. So I would avoid this if possible.

Finally, keep the lights low and don’t look too close!

If I hear what happened, I’ll let you know.

So in that spirit, here is my favorite saying that you WON’T be seeing on the Daly’s sign:

We Don’t Take “Shiitake” From Nobody

See what I mean?