The Power of Staining

I have been doing quite a lot of refinishing projects lately. I'm not a big fan of all the sanding involved, but it really pays off when you can breath new life into something old and worn out.
This lounger was in pretty good shape, but to protect it from the weather it needed to have a good coat of stain and a UV protectant top coat.

These teak benches were in desperate need of TLC. They had been sitting on a front lanai for a looong time and as a result turned grey and water stained. Behold the power of sanding! and a beautiful finish of course

These chairs were in a similar condition to the benches and even had some paint splatter to boot!

Entry way stairs

HOW TO: Refinishing Basics 

Step 1: Sand! This can be with a power sander or by hand depending on the size and condition of your project. I usually start with 220 but when it is really bad 120-150 can be a good starting point. 

Use a mask-your nose will thank you :) Sanding away from the place that you want to stain will make clean up easier. 

TIP-pick a place to start and a direction to work and try to follow that same process for each step.  Example-turn chair upside down, do everything you can reach, do sides. Flip it over, work from top of chair to feet or left to right. Do that when you sand, stain, clear coat. Hopefully you won't miss anything if you follow the same pattern rather than jumping around. 

Clean your area thoroughly before staining. Vacuum area and furniture and then wipe furniture down with a soft cloth to make sure there is no extra dust. 

Step 2: Apply Stain- this is the pretty part. Using a good quality ox hair brush will ensure that you get a nice even finish. Apply stain in the same direction as the wood grain. Once stain is tacky do not try to fix anything you will have to wait for it to dry and then sand it down. Let dry thoroughly, usually overnight. 

Step 3: More Sanding! Finish sanding is key to getting a nice silky smooth finished piece. Using 400 sand paper rub lightly over entire piece. Don't spend too much time in one spot. Usually 1 time back and forth in one location is just right. Use your fingers to feel where you have sanded, it will be nice a soft where you have finish sanded. 

Don't worry if it turns white, that will disappear when you apply the clear coat. 

Clean area thoroughly again. Vacuum & wipe down. 

Step 4: Clear coat. Apply clear coat over entire piece following the wood grain. Check for dry spots. Let dry! 

Voila!! You have a  beautiful like-new piece of furniture! 

Happy Staining!!