Finishing Expertise needed.

[Raymond Fries]

I am ready to finish my fireplace surround and have a problem. The wood has been in my living room for weeks and is acclimated to the air conditioned environment. I discovered last night that the dehumidifier in my garage is dead. The humidity in the house is about 20 percent lower than the garage workshop. Last night the garage was at 67 percent and the house was at about 49 percent. The wood is poplar is that matters.

Is it a bad idea to move the wood to the humid garage to finish it? Will it matter for finishing purposes.

I am excited to post pictures of the finished project.

Thanks for any tips or advice.

[Lee Schierer]

You don't say what you intend to use for a finish or what type of project it is. I would take it out and apply a coat of finish to one side an d then as soon as you can handle the piece apply a coat of finish to the other side. Get all surfaces inside and out covered with finish as soon as possible. Once every thing is covered once, you can slow down and finish more or less at your leisure assuming you finish it in a few days not weeks. Once you have everything sealed, the moisture in the air will have far less effect

If you are using a water based finish, you can finish inside if you like.

[Raymond Fries]

For finishing:

Starting with Charles Neil's Blotch control.
Next will be the stain to match the woodwork.
Finally Minwax wipe on poly.

Thanks