Varathane 381123 Water Based Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner, Quart
$14.97
Price: $14.97
(as of Oct 22, 2025 15:57:20 UTC – Details)
Varathane Water Based Pre Stain Wood Conditioner is an exceptional conditioner for wood intended to be used prior to application of Varathane Water Based Wood Stains. Make sure to prepare bare wood by sanding in direction of grain before applying. Great for use on furniture, wood floors, doors, paneling, cabinets and more. This fast drying pre stain has low odor and cleans up easily with soap and water.
Pre-stain wood conditioner preps wood for even color
Easy to use, water-based formula dries fast for quick project completion
Low odor wood conditioner prevents blotching on soft woods and ensures a high quality finish
Cleans up with soap and water; great for use on furniture, cabinets, trim, wood floors and more
Apply to bare wood before Varathane Wood Stain for best results
Customers say
Customers are satisfied with the wood stain’s quality, with one noting it works well for bathroom projects, and they appreciate its easy application, glossy appearance, and good value. The color receives positive feedback, though some mention it’s darker than anticipated. The stain dries quickly, though opinions are mixed, with some finding it super fast to dry while others report long dry times. The permanence and water content also receive mixed reviews, with some finding it lasting while others report issues with blotching and streaks, and one customer noting water-based issues.
S. Hatter –
Great product!
Works great and great prices too. Cheaper than priced at the hardware stores. Love that it comes in the small can, so it can be easily used on smaller projects. Highly recommend! Dries almost clear. Has a small tint but much better than other products and water based, so very easy to clean up and won’t yellow over time.
Robin Landry –
Gives a rich color, seals wood at the same time. Dries quickly.
Project has to be done quickly as it will thicken toward the end. Has been holding up well so far after a year of staining a breezeway door I had made on my carport.
Miss L –
Step 1
Love this product its great for furniture flippers. Easy to use and does a great job conditioning wood before staining.
Laken –
Highly recommend on wood floors
This stuff really makes a difference in results. When I don’t use it, the stain it’s a completely different color and further away from the desired results and color that is depicted on the packaging of the stain. When I don’t use this first, the stain came out much darker and patchy. I definitely recommend going the extra mile and using this on your sanded wood first BEFORE applying your stain. It makes a WORLD of difference. In my photo, the left is without using the prestain and the right is with using it. Take the extra time, do the extra work, it is worth it. Don’t be like me and try to skip it because you are tired lol now I have to resand that section of floor and redo it all. SIGH.
Papadoc –
Super fast to dry, darker than anticipated
I’ve never used a water-based stain before, so this was a new experience and not without lessons learned. I needed something that would hold up to a clear epoxy finish, and this one works.The stain is darker than I had imagined and I used it on Acacia, a hardwood with a fairly narrow wood grain. I can’t imagine how dark this would be on a softwood, but it would have to be borderline black. It’s also kind of a dustier looking finish than what I’d thought, though that will certainly change when I put the clear epoxy over the top.Overall, this is a good value for the money and I did two bathroom countertops plus a small shelf and still didn’t go through more than 1/4th of a quart. It dried quickly and has a good quality in my opinion, with no stain coming off on my hand or a cloth after it dried. That was something I was concerned with using a water based stain. Completely dry in 24 hours, though I could have put additional stain on in under an hour with boards left outside in the sun.Lessons learned:* Work fast – there isn’t much time to even out coloring as it starts to dry quickly* Have all your brushes and tools very handy and get the residual spread fast and wiped down or you’ll end up with blotches* If working with a large area, have an extra set of hands. One to apply, the other to rub it in and remove it.* Apply lightly as it tends to be darker faster than anticipated. You can always go back and apply more later.
Jesse Toy –
Must have for refinishers and furniture flippers.
Love, love, love this product! I professionally restore, refinish, and reimage furniture, and decided to give this a tryâI was impressed right away. It helps make the wood grain more uniform after sanding and does an excellent job prepping the surface for stain and polyurethane. I highly recommend it and will definitely be using it on many future projects.
Jen –
Very nice stain, dries fast
Bought this as an external protectant for my above ground planters. I love the dark color! It coats very well, wipes away easily, dries very fast in the sun (VERY FAST). It smells like stain, but I did it outside and in CO there is always a wind of some sort so it wasn’t all that bothersome. It cleaned up pretty easily as it’s water based. All in all it was a good value. I used 2 of these to stain both planters. I’d use it again easily.
Kevin –
Great stain
A lot easier to use than oil based. Ive been using this in place of painting for projects and it works great. Dries a lot nicer than oil based and super quick cleanup