Are you planning a project and want to stain plywood? Don’t worry, I have your back! I have the best wood stains for birch plywood and photos so you can see exactly what each looks like.
Plywood is a great material to use when building. It’s inexpensive (compared to solid wood) and comes in large sheets so you can build a large piece without connecting two or more pieces of wood together.
Now plywood has gone up in price since the pandemic but so has all wood so comparing them it’s still a cheaper option. And you can finish it so it looks just like the real deal!
Let me show you how 20 different stain colors look on birch plywood so you can decide which one you want to use on your project.
Each photo you will see has not been altered in any way except for me to add text so you know which color is which. I took the photos in the sunshine on a white background so nothing would alter the undertones in the wood stain.
Stain Colors On Birch Plywood
Here are some of the best stain colors for birch plywood. I will share how they look and which ones I think look the best with links to all of them so you can easily purchase the ones you want.
*This post contains affiliate links. For more details see my full disclosure.
The Best Gray Stains for Birch Plywood
As you can see from the photo Minwax Classic Gray, Slate, and Varathane Smoke Gray are the only ones that really gave any gray color. The other two are really washed out and don’t have a lot of pigment on birch plywood.
The Best Black Wood Stains for Birch Plywood
I really liked how all three of these colors looked on birch. Varathane Ebony has a little less pigment than the other two but if that’s a color you want then perfect!
The Best Light Wood Stain on Birch Plywood
Of all the colors I tested these are the ones I would classify as light wood stains. All three are gorgeous and depending on what look you want are great.
I will say though that birch is a pretty light wood so if you want a really light color then you might as well just seal the wood with poly and call it a day. But I love how Special Walnut and Provincial look.
The Best Medium Stain on Birch Plywood
If you want a medium or dark stain on your build and are worried about how birch will take to the darker colors have no fear. I think birch accepts stain really well which makes it one of the most perfect materials to work with!
The Best Dark Wood Stains for Birch Plywood
All of these darker stains look amazing on birch! I would do any of these colors and they would all look great on a build using birch plywood!
Espresso really jumps out to me but so does Red Mahogany! Which one speaks to you?
What stain is best for birch plywood?
This is purely subjective. What I love might not be what another person loves. But here are my favorites from light to dark and gray to black.
- Minwax Red Mahogany
- Minwax English Chestnut
- Minwax Early American
- Minwax Jacobean
- Minwax Espresso
- Minwax Special Walnut
- Minwax Simply White
No Minwax didn’t pay me to write this post, LOL. I just simply think that Minwax stains have more pigment then Varathane and I just like the colors better.
Frequently Asked Questions about Stain on Birch Plywood
Does birch plywood take stain?
Absolutely! For such a light wood I believe birch plywood takes stain much better than it’s other counterparts.
How do you stain birch plywood?
First, use a wood conditioner to make sure the wood accepts the stain well. Then using a foam brush or a rag apply the stain to the wood.
Let the stain sit for a few minutes then wipe away the excess. If you don’t wipe it away the wood will get sticky and won’t look good.
The best way to finish birch plywood.
The best way to finish off birch plywood is with a poly top coat.
When I use lighter stain colors I like to finish with a polyacrylic. It is water-based and won’t cause your stain color to yellow.
When I use a medium to dark stain color I finish with a polyurethane. It’s oil-based and I feel like it gives a better finish and is longer-lasting. It will cause light colors to yellow so I only use it on medium to dark stains.
Other Wood Stain Posts:
- The Best Wood Stains for Oak
- The Best Wood Stains for Whitewood
- The Best Wood Stains for Poplar
- The Best Wood Stains for Pine
- The Best Wood Stains for Red Oak
- The Best Gray Wood Stain Colors for all types of wood
As a licensed Real Estate Agent and an avid home decorator, I strive to give my clients the very best I can when it comes to staging, selling, and decorating their homes. I have lots of experience with paint color choices and love to DIY my home so I can have everything just the way I want it. I share my ideas and projects with the world in the hopes that I can help others have their homes just the way they want as well.