Dark water stains: If light stains aren't treated, they'll eventually develop into dark water stains on wood. These stains, which appear deep brown or black, happen when water seeps into the wood ...

Often, dark stains on wood come from moisture reacting with tannin, which got its name because oak bark and oak wood, which are high in the substance, were used to tan leather for thousands of years.

There is one small detail you need to consider. Before the 1930s, most furniture was finished with shellac or a "spirit varnish" which were suspended in alcohol.

Different types of stains react differently to wood. Before you pick out color and stain type, you want to assess how the stain will react to the type of wood you have.

Dear James: Our 3-year-old light-colored roof already has dark stains over most of it, except for near the chimney. Why is that, and how can we stop the. No paywalls. No subscriptions.