Refinishing Your Wood Outdoor Furniture

Many people ask us about the different ways to refinish their wood outdoor furniture. First, your wood outdoor furniture must be finely sanded. You should go over each piece to make sure there are no rough spots. If you decide to use a Stain, there are a few different types for you to choose from:

Oil-Based Stain - The liquid oil-based stains penetrate the wood without raising the wood grain. The color of the stain can be darkened by applying multiple coats of stain and allowing the stain to penetrate the wood between coats.

Water-Based Stain - These stains are more environmentally friendly than the Oil-Based Stains and only require soap and water cleanup. The only drawback of using these types of stains is that they can raise the grain of the wood. To prevent this from happening, dampen the wood with a moist rag and allow the wood to dry completely. Finish sand with fine sandpaper and then repeat this process. This process will condition the wood to accept the water-based products with less raised grain.

Gel Stains - The gel stains are thick and they are usually oil-based. They do allow for excellent color control because of the thickness of the stain, they do not swell the wood grain and they do not run like the liquids do because they are thick. You do, however, have to buff the wood between coats to remove any residual stain. These types of stains are also more expensive than the liquid stains.

One Step Stain/Finishes - This type of stain is very popular because it is easy to use. The color and the finish are applied at the same time, reducing the amount of time needed to finish the piece. However, it is sometimes more difficult to get a good finish with these types of products because the finish itself is tinted so the color stays on top of the wood instead of penetrating into it. If you are using these types of products, be sure you put the finish on evenly as you will have more color on thicker areas than on the thinner applied areas. These types of finishes also cover-up grain characteristics. When applying the stains to your wood outdoor furniture, the liquid stains are applied with a rag or a brush and allowed to penetrate into the wood.

Catherine Quel, President Trim The Home, Inc.