How To Refinish Wood Furniture
Use this simple process to give your old furniture a facelift! Refinishing wood furniture is easy enough for anyone to do and it makes a huge difference in how your furniture looks.
What You Will Need
- Citri-Strip Gel
- Protective gloves
- Protective eyewear
- Rags
- Steel wool
- Mineral spirits
- Stripping brush
- Plastic putty knife
- Sandpaper 150, 220, and 320 grit
- Tack cloths
- Minwax Stain I used English Chestnut
- Minwax Polyurethane I used Clear Gloss
- Foam brushes
Instructions
- Start by removing the old finish and stain from your furniture. Spread your CitriStrip Gel on thick and leave for an hour or more.
- Wearing protective eyewear, use a plastic putty knife to remove most of the gel. Then use the stripper brush in the nooks and crannies and any details your furniture has.
- Dip the steel wool in mineral spirits and go over the entire surface to remove any stain that is still left. Next, add mineral spirits to a rag and use it to remove anything left on the surface.Allow the surface to dry.
- Let's start sanding! First, go over the entire surface with 150 grit sandpaper. Then repeat the process 220 grit paper.After sanding, go over the surface with a tack cloth to remove all sanding dust and dirt. Your surface will be very clean and natural without any finish on it!
- Add your stain with a foam brush, going with the grain of the wood.Let it sit for about 5 minutes then rub it off with a clean rag as you go along the grain of the wood. Allow it to dry completely.
- Now it's time to protect your furniture with polyurethane. You'll want to add 3-4 coats per chair.Use a foam brush and apply, going with the grain of the wood in even coats over the entire surface.Let each coat fully dry and give it a light sanding before adding the next coat.
- After you apply your last coat, your wood furniture is fully refinished!