Sliding barn doors are not only beautiful but practical too! They take up less room than a conventional door, a cozy addition to your interior decor. Best of all you can customize it with paint or stain! Check out how we stain our barn door makeover with Fusion Gel Stain and Topcoat.

Different ways you can use Gel satin Topcoat – check out these blog posts here

• INTRODUCING FUSION BRUSH ON GEL STAIN & TOPCOAT
• HOW TO ACHIEVE THE DRIFTWOOD LOOK THE EASY WAY
• PATINA GEL STAIN AS A TOPCOAT

Gel Stain and Topcoat

Barn doors have always been a great way to modernize a room while adding a rustic element to your space.  They also eliminate doors that open into awkward spaces and hide spaces you don’t want visible in your home. Barn doors are also a unique way to get creative and are easily customizable for any type of décor. 

Since sliding doors are essentially doors taken off the hinges, you can up-cycle an old antique door, build your own or purchase pre-made online. Sliding door rails and hardware are also easily available to purchase online. All you have to do is measure your space.  

Here is a list of supplies you’ll need:

• Pre-made/Prebuilt Pine Door
• Fusion Gel Stain in Double Espresso
• Chip Paint Brush
• Foam Brush
• Sliding door hardware (mount and rail system)

Barn Door Makeover with Fusion Gel Stain and Topcoat

For this project, we will show you how to use Gel Stain and Topcoat a raw pine door. This one was pre-made with 1×4’s and shiplap panels purchased from a hardware store. Raw wood doors give you a blank canvas to start with and let you figure out whether you want to go with a classic stained wood look or get creative and bold with a fun paint colour.

The door will be hanging in space with an industrial feel, so we want to bring a natural wood element in the space by using the Gel stain and Topcoat on the door.

The first thing you want to do with any project that will receive a stain or topcoat is to make sure it is properly prepped.  Our Gel Stain and Topcoat will go over the previously coated surfaces so you don’t need to prep for this product. In this case, we want the raw wood to accept the product evenly for a flawless finish. This will help to eliminate blotches and allow your Gel Stain and Topcoat to lay down in a nice even coat. 

Next, you’ll want to mark where your mounts will be installed and pre-drill the holes for the mounts to slide into. 

Check out this video on how to apply to a previously coated surface without any prep!

Using Double Espresso Gel Stain and Topcoat

Now that your door is prepped, it’s time for Fusion Gel Stain and Topcoat in the colour Double Espresso, it is rich and warm and really is the perfect colour for pine. It brings out a lot of the warmth in the wood as well as sinks deep into the fibers for lots of texture. Plus a bonus is that it is a topcoat with added pigments so you don’t have to worry about any extra steps.

You’ll want to thoroughly stir the container for about 5 minutes to get all of the pigments from the bottom evenly disbursed. You can apply GSTC with a chip or synthetic brush, but the trick is to apply in smooth, even layers.

Brush on leave on product

This gel stain is not a product you saturate your surface with, nor should you attempt to wipe back. This is a brush-on, leave-on product. This is an oil-based product and will require odourless solvent clean up, so don’t use your best brushes!

If you apply too much to your surface, a good tip is to go over it with your brush,  this product has a long open time meaning you have plenty of time to deal with drips, runs, or unevenness. 

One coat of GSTC will give you the perfect finish. But if you want to layer up your finish or go for a more opaque look, you should wait at least 8-12 hours between coats to make sure your previous coat is fully dry. This is your surface after one coat

We added a second coat for a darker wood tone and the additional gave us the look we wanted. Once the hardware is added, the door is ready to be hung on the rail system. 

Industrial spaces can feel cold and sterile sometimes, but bringing in wood tones can bring you balance and warmth. We love how rich and warm the wood looks in Double Espresso against a white wall. 

What project will you use our Fusion Gel Stain and Topcoat on? Leave us a comment below!

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