19 Nov What is “Water Popping”?

Also known as “grain popping” or “raising the grain”, water popping is a process that opens up the grain in the wood before you stain or finish. Because wood is a hygroscopic material, it contains numerous cells that absorb water. Therefore the grain fibers, because of their absorption and expelling of moisture, can constantly change. When moisture is absorbed, wood expands. If moisture is lost, the wood will release the excess moisture. Certain woods like pine, maple and others have a difficult time at accepting stains and finishes. When water is used on wood before adding the finish, it reopens the pores in the grains. This in turn allows the wood to deeply absorb the finish resulting in an evenly applied stain and/or finish.