never mind, I got impatient and proceeded (after researching online for a while). it looks amazing! the result is SO much better than my two other skylights, which were stained with varathane.

the water based stain + flax oil resulted in a color contrast and sheen that matches the original ceiling surprisingly well, with zero fumes. it didn't raise the grain, and cleanup was super easy (esp when I spilled a bunch of it on my hardwood floors). the brand of stain I used was SamaN.

however, I will say that water based was very intimidating to work with compared to varathane. the wood just drinks it up so it's not very workable. even though I did practice runs on scrap wood first, I feel like I got lucky with the color in the end. in hindsight, I should have started with a lighter color and built it up.

photo below. the frame around the skylight is new, the beams and ceiling are old. a near perfect match!

I agree with your dislike of water based stains. They just dry to quickly to work with properly.

As to using flax seed oil, which is where linseed oil comes from, there is a reason why chemical driers are put in them. If you wipe off all the oil that doesn't get absorbed after about 15 minutes, there shouldn't be a problem. Just don't leave excess on the surface or it will be have a sticky dust catcher. I have a household full of teak furniture, since my wife sold Scandinavian furniture for many years. Oiling teak wood is a rite of spring.

In that skylight, where heat and bright direct sunlight is often brutal, be prepared to periodically re-oil the wood, and possibly re-stain it, as it will be getting bleached out.

If you had used a urethane up there, a Spar urethane with UV blockers would have been a good idea.

I am not a big fan of skylights in really cold climates ( below zero). Although most have little gutters built in, they often get heavy frost which overwhelms the gutter when rapid morning melting occurs. Streaks and general deterioration occurs on the wood or drywall.

The "perfect storm" for skylights is one in the master bath, in a really cold climate, where the skylight faces East. and the husbands likes to shower late at night. The skylight ices up on a cold winters night and rapidly melts when the sun hits its eastern exposure.

David Jensen, I live in a part of the country where the temp rarely dips below 30. also, the skylight is never in direct sunlight (except for just a few minutes in the morning). I suppose that will be a major pro for keeping the stain looking good! but I ultimately see it as a big fat con because now I have this new skylight that barely lets any light in the room at all. but that's a whole separate story. thanks for your input!

BF,

I have seen many skylights over the years and wondered what they were thinking. If not properly located, they can give a dreary gray light, especially when the light has to work its way down a deep, narrow, tunnel like shaft.