How to Restore a Porch Glider

Lift the porch glider and spread a drop cloth under it to protect your porch floor.

Put rubber gloves on your hands. Rub down the porch glider with mineral spirits using a scrub brush to knock-off any dirt and grime as well as penetrate into the wood grain. Scrub vigorously to get the glider clean.

Thoroughly rinse the scrub brush. Fill a bucket with plain water and rinse the porch glider. Let the porch glider air dry thereafter.

Abrade the porch glider once dry with extra-fine sandpaper, roughing the surface. Wipe off any dust after sanding with a tack cloth.

Spread gel-stain over the porch glider with a paintbrush. Let the gel-stain seep into the wood between 15 and 20 minutes. Wipe off excess stain thereafter with a clean rag.

Rinse the paintbrush thoroughly in mineral spirits, then water. Apply a coat of varnish to your porch glider, following the direction of the wood grain. Let it dry between four and five hours.

Sand the porch glider once the varnish has dried with super-fine sandpaper, to finish. Wipe down with a tack cloth once more. Rub with a microfiber cloth to complete your restoration.