Many of our homes in the Pacific Northwest feature beautiful woodwork that can make for exciting home improvement projects.

If you want a fast-drying wood stain, opt for lacquer or varnish, which takes only about 15 minutes to be dry to the touch (although fully dry takes much longer at a minimum of 24 hours).

If you coat a penetrating stain with a film finish like polyurethane, or varnish before all the solvent evaporates, you essentially lock the solvent into the wood. This can lead to blotchiness and ...