Furniture Staining Tips

Preparation

• Before applying new stain to the furniture, and to get professional looking results, remove old stain or paint. Do this by hand with sandpaper or use a paint stripper. Be sure to follow manufacturer's instructions on label. Brush on the stripper with an old paintbrush and wipe it off with an old towel. Sand the furniture smooth for a silky surface that will take stain well and cover easily. When sanding by hand, start with a rougher grit of sandpaper (40 to 50 grit) and then choose a medium grit (80 to 100) to sand again, finally finish the sanding with a fine grit (120 to 220 grit) sandpaper.

Staining

• You'll get the best, most evenly applied results with a pre-stain applied to bare wood furniture. Apply pre-stain with a brush, and let it drdy clear. Read the label for best drying time. After the pre-stain dries, use a very fine grit sandpaper (220) to smooth the coat and give the furniture a glassy-smooth surface for the stain.

Stain Application

• Use a clean, dry cloth to apply stain. You may use a brush if you prefer, but you'll get better results with a rag. Dip a corner of the rag into the stain and apply in long, even strokes with the grain (along the grain) of the furniture. Complete this project quickly, but don't feel like you have to rush. Stain will take only a few minutes to dry, so if you want a darker shade, stain the piece of furniture again. Using the rag or brush, be careful to spread the stain evenly over the surface of the furniture; avoid leaving dark splotches where you first apply the stain.

Finishing Touches

• To give the newly stained furniture a professional appearance, apply a coat or two of polyurethane to the finished piece. Polyurethane is available at home improvement stores in convenient quart amounts. Using a new brush. Dip the brush into the polyurethane and apply to the surface of the furniture in light, even strokes. Allow to dry, following manufacturer's guidelines the label. This protective coat will help protect the furniture and give it a glossy appearance. Smooth even more by lightly sanding this coat with very fine grit sandpaper (220 or higher). Gently sand the surface of the polyurethane, remove fine particles of grit with a damp cloth, and allow to dry. Then, apply another thin layer of polyurethane.