Stains & SolidTone 101

Stains & SolidTones® 101

WalzCraft’s extensive finishing program offers a colorful collection of top quality Stains, SolidTones® (Paints), and Primers. Explore the finer details of each type of finish below.

Finish Availability

  • WalzCraft offers a consistent, high-quality finish on all of our Solid Wood and MDF Cabinet Components.
  • Stain, SolidTone®, Glaze, Sealer, and Topcoat materials are all available for purchase in various amounts.
  • Stain, SolidTone®, and Glaze Color Block Sets are available for order.
 

VIEW ALL COLOR BLOCK SETS

WalzCraft Color Block Sets

Natural / Clear Coat (no stain)

Catalyzed Conversion Varnish is the base of our Natural / Clear (no stain). Conversion Varnishes produce high quality, abrasion-resistant finishes. In addition, they contain low volatile organic compounds (VOC), or solvents, making this material environmentally friendly.

Conversion Varnishes are fast-drying, they contain self-sealers, and they have excellent non-yellowing properties. WalzCraft uses a flat line finishing system to apply Sealer and Topcoat. As a result, each product receives even distribution of finish material.

A Natural finish allows the accepted beauty of the wood to show its personality.

Natural - No Stain Finish on WalzCraft Cabinet Doors
Pictured (left to right): S929, S710, S307, & S437

Wiping Stains (W)

Finish Wiping Stain on WalzCraft Cabinet Doors
Pictured (left to right): S680, S915, S690, & S842

Our Wiping Stains are sprayed on and then hand wiped, which is a common finishing process in the industry. The outcome produces colors with good clarity and excellent grain definition in the wood. WalzCraft offers a wide variety of wiping stain colors, available on nearly all wood species. Darker colored stains may hide some of the natural characteristics that might be deemed as imperfections in the wood, allowing you to utilize a low-cost Natural Grade material.

To compliment any of our Wiping Stains, add a Dry Wiped Glaze.

Spray No Wipe Stains (SNW)

A Spray No Wipe Stain provides a premium finish, using technology that eliminates the blotchiness that can occur on Maple, Birch, Cherry, and Pine wood species. A WalzCraft Spray No Wipe finish is superior in quality and admired by many in the industry.

Adding a Solvent Wiped Glaze will take your color to the top and enhance the beauty of your cabinetry.

Spray No Wipe Stain Finish on WalzCraft Cabinet Doors
Pictured (left to right): S222, S614, & S681

Combination Stains (C)

Combination Stain Finish on WalzCraft Cabinet Doors
Pictured (left to right): S642, S917, S537, & S274

Combination Stains utilize a two-step process starting with a Toner as the first application and then applying a Wipe Stain. This two-step process creates unique colors with depth.

WalzCraft offers several standard Combination color options that will give your cabinetry the deep, rich color you desire.

Primed Only for Paint

If you are looking for Pre-Primed Cabinet Doors and Cabinet Components, try our “Primed Only” Finish option on your next cabinet project. Ask any professional wood finisher or Cabinet Re-finisher and you will learn that to achieve a beautiful and durable finish on painted kitchen cabinets you must have a solid high-quality primer base and material “build” between the raw wood or MDF and the topcoat. When you order Pre-Primed Cabinet Doors and cabinet components from WalzCraft, you can expect that they will arrive with a quality primer base applied and will require only a little prep (scuff) sanding before applying your painted top coat.

The “Primed Only for Paint Finish” is composed of solid color pigments mixed with a primer base. The first coat of this finish is applied and allowed adequate time to dry. Next, the product is lightly scuff sanded and inspected for defects. If found, defects are filled with an interior/exterior paintable wood filler, and the product is lightly scuff sanded again. The second coat of primer is then applied and allowed time to dry before being packaged and shipped.

Primed Only for Paint Options & Colors

Catalyzed Primer: For Use With Customer Applied Paint/Top Coat “Requiring Catalyst”

For customers looking to achieve the highest quality painted finished using WalzCraft pre-primed cabinet doors and components we recommend using a solvent-based Post Catalyzed Paint (available from WalzCraft) over our “Catalyzed Primer” version of Primed Only finishes. Please note, any additional primer applied as well as the final top coats “must” be compatible with WalzCraft’s acid-catalyzed conversion varnish primer. This “Primed Only for Paint” finish is not compatible with pre-catalyzed products, as it requires a post catalyzed formulation.

Color options for our Catalyzed Primers include Classic White*, Medium Gray*, Dark Gray* or any other SolidTone color offered by WalzCraft.

* Classic White, Medium Gray and Dark Gray are considered “Standard Catalyzed Primers Colors” and are offered at a modest discount because of manufacturing and finishing efficiencies specific to these colors.

Cabinet Doors with Catalyzed Primer and Ready to Paint
Catalyzed Primer Pictured (left to right): Medium Gray, Classic White & Dark Gray

Non-Catalyzed Primer: For Use With Customer Applied Paint/Top Coat “Not Requiring Catalyst” or for Paint/Top Coat that is “Pre-Catalyzed”

If you plan to apply your own supplied paint or pigmented topcoat to our pre-primed products, WalzCraft recommends our “Non-Catalyzed Primer” version of Primed Only finish. This Non-Catalyzed version is a Universal Primer formulated to perform better (offers better adhesion) when used with non-catalyzed and pre-catalyzed finishes, such as Waterbase paints. This “Primed Only for Paint” finish is a non-catalyzed product and is available applied to products in white and gray.

Non-Catalyzed Primer Colors for Cabinet Doors
Non-Catalyzed Primer Pictured (left to right): White & Gray

Material Options

Primed Cabinet Doors are available in MDF, Solid Wood, and Hybrid materials. A Hybrid door is made from solid wood stiles and rails with an MDF or Moisture Resistant NAUF – MDF, Raw center panel. The wood species available as a hybrid are Birch, Cherry, Maple, and Poplar. For best results we recommend ordering one of our Maple – Hard / Soft Mixed – Hybrid Wood Species due to the natural characteristics of this wood species, the grain is less likely to show through after painting. (View Maple – Hard / Soft Mixed – Hybrid Solid Panel and 1/4″ Flat Panel samples and descriptions)

The “Primed only for Paint” option is available on MDF, Hybrid Material, and Solid Wood components. Applying the “Primed only for Paint” option to solid wood panels can sometimes result in visible glue lines (when present). When ordering products with glue-ups, like center panels, WalzCraft only allows the following materials: Solid MDF or Hybrid Material.

Note: If finishing the product yourself with our finish material, it can be helpful to apply a separate primer coat to profiled areas of MDF panels (be sure to allow adequate time to dry and scuff sand in between coats).

SolidTone® (ST)

SolidTone Finish on WalzCraft Cabinet Doors
Pictured (left to right): S109, S855, S910, & S932

Our SolidTone® colors are pigmented, acid Catalyzed Conversion Varnishes that provide superior coverage for your painting needs. Conversion Varnishes have greater scratch resistance and chemical resistance than other popular finishes like Polyurethane or Lacquer.

SolidTone® colors applied to solid wood panels can sometimes result in visible glue lines (when present). Due to this quality concern, WalzCraft only offers SolidTone® colors on the following materials: Solid MDF or Hybrid material. This applies to all products that would potentially have a component, like a center panel, that would have a glue-up if it were to be made from solid wood. Example: Raised Panel doors (Style 10), Solid Wood Slab doors (Style 1270), Center Panel Only material (CPO) and Glued-Up Panels (GUP).

Narrower stock with or without glue-ups such as face frame components, profiled stock, moldings, stiles & rails, and slab drawer fronts can still be made from solid wood.

SolidTone® finish is only allowed on solid wood center panels when a Rub Through Option is selected.

SolidTone® Plus (STP)

WalzCraft’s SolidTone ® Plus Finish (STP) option includes all the great features of our SoildTone® Finish (ST) PLUS the addition of a clear (no color) top coat. The clear top coat adds an extra layer of protection that can be beneficial in heavy-wear situations or when using darker colors. Additionally, SolidTone Plus delivers a smoother finish on the back of the product and a softer feel overall. Applying the clear finish will slightly change the appearance of the product, so we strongly recommend ordering a color block sample before proceeding with your order. Our SolidTone ® Plus Finish (STP) option is available in our  SoildTone® Colors.

SolidTone® WoodGrain (STWG)

SolidTone® WoodGrain colors are formulated the same as a SolidTone®, but the priming step is removed. This process allows the grain of the wood to show through with no bare areas, creating an appealing look in any room. SolidTone® WoodGrain colors are Conversion Varnishes, which have greater scratch resistance and chemical resistance than other popular finishes like Polyurethane or Lacquer.

We recommend the following wood species when ordering this method, due to their open grain characteristics: Ash, Hickory, Red Oak, and White Oak. The embossed look of the grain provides a rougher surface for applying a glaze. Therefore, further complementing the unique appearance of the product.

SolidTone WoodGrain Finish on WalzCraft Cabinet Doors
Pictured (left to right): S106, S356, & S252