Wood Stains and Finishes FAQs -  PROLUXE

The following are questions that we have received to help you get up and running on the PPG Paints app.

Modern wooden terrace with stacked firewood and chandelier overlooking snow-covered rooftops and houses.

Frequently Asked Wood Stain and Finishes Questions

I live in California and have a new cedar-sided house. I was told that we are in a low VOC area. What ProLuxe TM product do you recommend?

The following ProLuxe products are VOC-compliant throughout California:

We have a new western red cedar fence and would like to use a ProluxeTM stain. Which stain should we use?

One coat of Proluxe® SRD Semi-Transparent Wood Finish can be used on fences after proper surface preparation. It can be brushed, rolled, or sprayed on. If sprayed or rolled, however, the application should be back brushed.

I don’t want to rent a power washer for the cleaning procedure. Is a garden hose OK to use?

No. The use of a garden hose, even with a nozzle, will not properly remove the mill glaze, dirt, pollution, old coatings, etc. that may be found on the surface. We have found that using a cleaning solution of 4 ounces of TSP (trisodium phosphate), 1 quart of outdoor bleach and 3 quarts of fresh water, followed by power washing at 500-800 PSI, is an effective way to clean wood without having to hand scrub or sand the entire surface.

I have an exterior door that has been coated with Proluxe® 1 Primary Coat RE Wood Finish (formerly Cetol 1 RE). I want to put an acrylic/urethane coating as a top coat. Is there a problem with that?

We do not recommend that type of product because it loses its flexibility and does not offer the durability and protection of Proluxe Door & Window Wood Finish or Proluxe 23 Top Coat RE Wood Finish.

I want to fill the nail holes on the outside of my house. I bought filler and would like to know if I can fill the holes with a mix of ProLuxeTM and wood filler.

Without extensive testing we cannot tell whether the filler powder and ProLuxe are compatible with each other. For this reason, we recommend to fill all joints, cracks, and nail holes with a good quality polyurethane or acrylic filler prior to coating application. Areas where caulking is smeared over the wood surface can be sanded after drying with 80-grit sandpaper to remove the caulking residue. It is important to remove caulking smears because the pigments in the finishes won’t penetrate and will appear lighter in color.

I would like to paint my picnic table. What ProLuxeTM  product would you recommend?

If you are looking for a painted appearance to the picnic table, we recommend Proluxe Premium Solid Stain Wood Finish.

What ProLuxeTM  products can be applied on a fiberglass door?

Both PPG Proluxe Premium Solid Stain Wood Finish and PPG Proluxe Door & Window Wood Finish can be used on a fiberglass door.

Is it OK to add pigment and/or other products to ProLuxeTM finishes?

No, we do not recommend adding anything to our transparent products. The PPG Proluxe Premium Solid Stain Wood Finish and Proluxe SRD Semi-Transparent Wood Finish can be tinted in store using universal tints available at PPG ProLuxe suppliers.

No other additives should be used with any  ProLuxe products, as they could possibly slow down drying time, change gloss levels and affect product performance.