Why is water applied to a bare wood surface during preparation?

• A. To darken the wood for staining.
• B. To cool the surface before finish application.
• C. To raise the wood grain before sanding and applying finishes.
• D. To clean the surface of dust.

Answer: (C)

Raising the grain with moisture is the key idea here. When you dampen bare wood, capillary action makes the surface fibers swell and stand up. After it dries, you sand the raised grain away, leaving a smoother, more even surface that will accept stain and finish more consistently and resist blotching. It’s not about darkening the wood, cooling the surface, or cleaning dust—those aren’t reliable prep goals. For dust removal, use a tack cloth; for cooling, let the wood dry and acclimate; and to change color, apply stain rather than water.