Hate is a strong word, and perhaps I’m just feeling exhausted and dejected. But after spending yesterday staining my front porch – which I had spent hours pressure washing, sanding, and preparing – I am far from satisfied with the outcome. I had originally planned on using Cabot Australian Timber Oil in Jarrah Brown, so I could get a medium-to-light brown without any noticeable undertones. However, when I tested it on a board on my front porch, it came out RED. Scrolling through the customer photos on the Jarrah Brown listing, it seemed like the colors were all over the place – medium brown to very red. So I went back to my original selection, Ready Seal in Dark Walnut, which I had already purchased and had at the house.
Well, I’m not thrilled. The first time I stained my porch back in 2018, I used Thompson’s Timber Oil in Dark Walnut. It was really dark, but it was beautiful and neutral, and it looked great with the white trim and coral door. This time, when I used Ready Seal Dark Walnut, it turned out orange – a color that clashes with my coral door. I should have just stuck with Thompson’s.
The good news is that from a distance, it’s not so bad. But as you approach the front door, the orange gets more and more noticeable. So now I have to figure out how to fix this. I called the company, and the woman I spoke with said they have a color called Mission Brown that is dark without the orange/red undertones. But I’m not sure if it would be enough to counteract this orange/red color. I may even try adding pigments to the leftover stain to see if that eliminates the orange/red color.
I don’t love it, but I can’t live with this color either. I’ll be disappointed every single time I walk out my front door, and for this to be the first impression of our house is not what I want. I have to come up with a solution, because having an orange wood front porch that clashes with my coral door is not an option.
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