Expert: Kirk Ryan - 8/30/2010

Question
This is a light oak finish & am planning to stain it dark. Will staining it dark take
care of the water spot. I do plan on sanding before staining. I read somewhere
that the light water spot has not penetrated in the wood. is that correct?

Answer
Well, there is a good chance that if the water spot is minor, it may not have penetrated all the way through. Sometimes we get lucky, and it only damages the surface. Unfortunately, if the water was left in place for a long time, its safe to say the wood may have absorbed as much as possible. When wood is dry, its much like a sponge. You will see how far it is when you are sanding. When you stain over it should hide the spot if it is still there after sanding.