Wax polish, Oil and varnish all protect and enhance wood, but they do so in different ways.

Oil penetrates deep into the timber to nourish and protect from within while bringing out the natural beauty of the grain.

Waxes sit on the surface, adding richness, depth and a soft lustre with light protection. Polishes are primarily used to restore and enhance a finish, ranging from everyday furniture polishes to traditional French polish.

Varnishes create a durable protective layer on the surface, providing excellent resistance to moisture, stains and everyday wear.

Choosing the right finish depends on the look, feel and level of protection you want to achieve.

Although varnish and lacquer are both designed to protect wood, they differ in how they perform and the finish they create.

Varnish forms a durable protective coating that offers excellent resistance to moisture, stains and everyday wear, making it ideal for high-use surfaces such as doors, worktops and furniture.

Lacquer also creates a protective film but is typically thinner, allowing it to build into a smooth, refined finish that enhances the natural beauty of the timber. It dries quickly, is easy to apply in multiple coats and is particularly well suited to wooden flooring, where durability is essential. However, lacquer can also be used in the same way as a varnish on doors, furniture and interior joinery, providing a tough, long-lasting finish with exceptional clarity.

The right choice depends on the appearance, level of protection and intended use of the surface.

Light Fast Stains

Mylands Light Fast Stains are formulated using selected spirit (alcohol) solvents and high-quality light-fast dyes, creating a fast-drying, non-grain-raising stain with excellent colour stability. Their spirit-based formulation allows the dye to penetrate quickly, making them ideal where speed and consistency are essential. Suitable for hardwoods and softwoods, they are widely used on furniture, joinery, doors and interior woodwork, and can also be applied to wooden flooring with care due to their rapid drying time. Light Fast Stains are compatible with all Mylands lacquer systems and hardwax oils.

Nitrostains

Mylands Nitrostains are traditional solvent-based enhanced oil stains, formulated with a carefully selected solvent blend to provide excellent application properties without raising the grain. Favoured by the reproduction furniture trade, they produce rich, traditional colours while enhancing the natural character of the timber. Compared to our Light Fast Stains, Nitrostains offer lower lightfastness (the ability of a colour to resist fading or changing when exposed to natural or artificial light), making them best suited to interior applications where prolonged UV exposure is limited. Designed for professional use, they are ideal for interior furniture, reproduction pieces and bespoke joinery. They are traditionally finished with shellac polishes or cellulose lacquers, but when using a modern water-based lacquer, the stain should first be sealed with Mylands Shellac Barrier Seal to prevent colour bleed and ensure compatibility.

Earth Stains

Mylands Earth Stains are formulated from selected solvents, natural earth pigments, dyes and a small amount of oil, giving them the rich appearance and ease of application of a traditional oil stain. The blend of pigments and dyes creates exceptional depth while remaining light-fast and non-grain-raising. Designed to enhance the natural beauty of timber, they are ideal for hardwood flooring, bespoke joinery, cabinetry and fine furniture, and should always be protected with a suitable finish such as Hardwax oil, Mylac or another compatible lacquer.

Acrylic Water Stains

Mylands Acrylic Water Stains are water-based stains containing a small amount of acrylic binder to improve timber wetting and colour penetration. Coloured with light-fast dyes, they provide excellent transparency while preserving the natural appearance of the wood. Suitable for new and stripped timber, they are ideal for furniture, doors, joinery, flooring and interior woodwork where a low-odour, low-VOC finish is preferred. They can be overcoated with most Mylands lacquer systems, except Mylac flooring lacquers, and are not compatible with solvent-based stains or lacquers.

No, Stains are to colour and enhance the natural grain, you will need to apply a protective layer over the top. This can be a wax, oil, varnish, lacquer or polish.

A wood sealer is a preparatory coating that seals the timber, creating an even surface for subsequent finishes. It improves adhesion, regulates absorption, locks in stains, helps prevent tannin or resin bleed and enhances the overall finish.

In the Mylands range, a sealer is generally only required after applying Nitrostain, where it locks in the stain before lacquering. Mylands Shellac Barrier Seal should be used before water-based lacquers to prevent colour bleed and ensure compatibility, while Sanding Sealer provides the ideal base for traditional shellac or cellulose lacquer systems.

As sealers close the surface of the timber, oils should not be applied over them, as they cannot penetrate the wood fibres. Lacquers, such as Mylac, are designed to form a durable protective film over the sealed surface, making them the correct finish to use.

The best wood finish for your floor depends on the level of protection, appearance and maintenance you're looking for.

Mylands Hard Wax Oil provides a natural, low-sheen finish that penetrates the timber for durable protection while enhancing the grain. Mylands Mylac is a water-based lacquer ideal for residential floors, offering a hard-wearing clear finish, while Mylac Extra is a two-pack water-based lacquer designed for commercial, retail and other high-traffic environments where maximum durability is required.

For a more traditional finish, Mylands Wax Polish creates a rich natural lustre but requires more regular maintenance and reapplication than oils or lacquers.

Kitchen worktops require a finish that combines durability with a natural appearance. Mylands Hardwax oil is the ideal choice, penetrating deep into the timber to protect against water, stains and everyday wear while enhancing the natural grain. Easy to maintain and repair, it can be refreshed without sanding back the entire surface. If you wish to change the colour of the timber, apply Mylands Earth Stain before finishing with 3–4 coats of Hardwax oil. Alternatively, Mylands Quick Dry Kitchen & Bathroom Varnish is an excellent choice where a tougher, film-forming finish is preferred, offering outstanding resistance to moisture, stains and everyday use while protecting the surface of the wood. Ensure coatings are fully cured before heavy use.

Proper preparation is the key to achieving a professional finish. Before applying any stain, oil, varnish, paint or lacquer, ensure the timber is clean, dry and free from dust, grease, wax and any previous loose coatings.

Sand the surface evenly in the direction of the grain using progressively finer abrasives, typically finishing at 120–150 grit for most timber. This provides the ideal balance between a smooth surface and good adhesion, while allowing stains and oils to penetrate evenly.

Avoid sanding much finer than 180 grit before staining, as this can reduce colour absorption. Once sanding is complete, remove all dust thoroughly before applying your chosen finish.

If using a stain, always test it on an offcut or an inconspicuous area first, as the final colour will vary depending on the timber species and surface preparation. Taking the time to prepare the wood correctly will ensure even colour absorption, better adhesion and a longer-lasting finish.

If you're working with bare softwoods such as pine, spruce or fir, we highly recommend using Mylands Knotting Solution before priming or painting. It seals resin-rich knots to prevent sap and resin bleeding through the finish, helping to avoid discolouration and improve adhesion for a cleaner, longer-lasting result.

Mylands White Knotting dries clear, making it ideal beneath light-coloured paints, while Patent Knotting dries to a natural brown tint and is best suited to darker paints, stains and wood finishes.