When it comes to colouring wood, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. Wood is a beautiful natural material that comes in many different textures and colours, therefore colour selection can be tricky. We’ve created this woodstain colour guide to help you make the best colour choice for your wooden surface.

Woodstain vs wood paint

Woodstains penetrate the wood soaking pigment into the timber fibres, providing a slight colour without masking the authentic colour and texture of the wood. The woodstain colour is absorbed into the wood rather than layering a coat of colour on top of the surface like wood paint does.

Colour choice made easy

Handpicked from our large range of exterior shades, we have curated a palette of classic timber colours that provide a natural appearance to the wood. Helping you add more personality to the exterior of your home while preserving the beauty of the natural grain of the wood.

Discover our palette of light and dark wood stain shades to help you choose the right colour for your external wooden surfaces.

Light Woodstain Colours

A hand-picked selection of five light colours for your wooden exterior surfaces. Light shades are a popular choice this season, and when paired with rattan and bamboo items and plenty of greenery, they provide a romantic and bohemian atmosphere in any outdoor space.

Light woodstain colours are recommended for lighter wood types like pine and white oak, as they contain white pigment which helps to retain the natural, untreated look of lighter coloured woods. They are not recommended for darker timber surfaces.

Old Oak 3440

Hazel 3441

Redwood 3446

Willow 3447

Beech 3448

Heartwood 3449

Dark Woodstain Colours

Dark colour may seem like a bold choice, but it's a great way to complement the surrounding landscape of gardens and leafy greens. Choose from four deep shades that will always stand the test of time.

Dark woodstains work best on wood species such as walnut and mahogany.

Mahogany 3451

Teak 3442

Scots Pine 5055

Rosewood 5058

Pine 5072

Antique Pine 5073

Spruce 5079

Recommended products

Valtti Color

For doors, windows & decking

Valtti Plus Kesto

For fencing

Valtti Color Extra

For joinery

Valtti Akvacolor

For wooden structures

Sheen Levels

Our woodstains are available in three different sheen levels ranging from matt to semi-gloss.

For a matt finish, we offer both water-based and solvent-based solutions. Valtti Color is a low-build, solvent-based impregnation woodstain that is particularly suitable for application to dense oily wooden surfaces, where a matt, translucent finish is required. It is also suitable for sawn and planed timber, logs, thermally treated, and impregnated wood. Valtti Akvacolor is our water-based low-build woodstain that is suitable for most exterior applications with the exception of decking.

A semi-matt finish can be achieved with our Valtti Plus Kesto - a water-based, high build woodstain. Valtti Plus Kesto provides extended durability (10+ years), and is suitable for any exterior timber application that requires a durable translucent finish.

To achieve a semi-gloss finish, we recommend our Valtti Color Plus woodstain. Valtti Color Plus is a high build, alkyd woodstain with excellent application and film-forming properties. Ideal for exterior joinery and not suitable for decking.

UV Protection

As our exterior walls are subjected to strong sunlight, it is important to protect surfaces against UV rays and weathering. All of our exterior woodstains were designed to not only provide a beautiful translucent finish, but also are UV and weather resistant, protecting your wooden surfaces all year long.

Choosing Colour

Light, the structure and colour of the surface and the viewing distance can all affect colour perception. It is important to test your chosen colour first, examining the colours on the surface to achieve your desired end result.