Repairing a dark stain finish

[Greg Magone]

We had some damage to our house and I need to repair it. Our house is hemlock wood stained a dark Brandy (deep cherry) color. Unfortunately, I am unfamiliar with the technique used to apply the stain. It appears that the stain was used more like a paint, that is, it is a thick layer of stain sitting on top of the wood. If I scratch at it, I can flake some of the stain pieces off of the wood. This is different than how I am used to using stain as I'm used to letting it sit for 10 minutes and the wiping off the excess and there is nothing sitting on top of the wood.

Can anyone explain how to apply stain in this manner so I can match how the builder did the stain in the first place? I need to accomplish a repair and must use the same technique as the builder.

Someone suggested applying the stain and then immediately coating with lacquer.

[scott vroom]

Hard to tell without pictures, but it sounds more like a faux paint finish and not a stain. In which case it would be practically impossible to repair to match unless you have knowledge of the materials and technique. Is it possible to contact the original builder?

[roger wiegand]

Are you talking about inside or outside? Stain for outdoor application on shingles or clapboards bears little resemblance to what wood workers think of as stain, it is basically paint thinned down to penetrate a bit better and leave a thinner film. It can be anywhere from completely opaque to somewhat transparent. It is not wiped off, protection of the wood from the elements depends on the opaque layer of pigment. It's applied with a brush, roller or sprayer, just like paint-- most commercial painters will spray. If you're talking about inside it sounds like a similar product was used.

Inside, might it be a colored varnish or polyurethane instead of a stain?