Dye stain or a solvent based stain with dye in it can be tricky to work with at times. It can often take longer to dry properly prior to receiving a sealer or finish coat and it often must be constantly stirred during application.

One of the most important facts to know about dye stain is that it be be properly vented in the container. It will often build up pressure. Sometimes enough pressure to explode. We revisited this fact recently when an employee hammered down the lid on a stain containing a lot of dye in it. Normally we would leave the lid loose or a safer approach is to drill a small hole in the lid. We do lots of stain work but sometimes lessons have to be relearned.

I came to the shop This Monday and I recognized the smell before I even entered. Dye Stain. Sure enough when I entered the odor was overwhelming. The can exploded. What a mess to clean up. Fortunately it wasn’t near a vehicle or piece of equipment. It only took out a shelf, floor and wall.

If you work with dye stain or if a contractor has done dye stain work in your home and left you the extra, make sure it’s vented or the lid has a small hole drilled in it.