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What supplies do I need to refinish a table?

William & Shannon Latil
Furniture Refinishing & Home Remodeling Specialists
William & Shannon Latil are Furniture Refinishing & Home Remodeling Specialists and the Founders of Furniture Refinishing Services based in Houston, Texas. With over 30 years of experience, William and Shannon specialize in repairing and restoring wood furniture, refinishing kitchen cabinets, remodeling kitchens, and building live-edge wooden tables. William and Shannon have won Awards for Excellence from the Better Business Bureau and the Houston Chronicle Best Small Business Award. Their work has also been featured in Houston Press Magazine - Kitchen Design. Additionally, the Furniture Refinishing Services team has conducted major refinishing work on venues such as NRG Stadium and Minute Maid Park.

William & Shannon Latil

Furniture Refinishing & Home Remodeling Specialists

Expert Answer

To start, you will need to clean the piece really well with lacquer thinner to remove any dirt build-up on the table. Then, you'll need a 400 grit sandpaper, a stain and a clear coat finish.

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Question

Do you have to remove old stain before restaining furniture?

William & Shannon Latil
Furniture Refinishing & Home Remodeling Specialists
William & Shannon Latil are Furniture Refinishing & Home Remodeling Specialists and the Founders of Furniture Refinishing Services based in Houston, Texas. With over 30 years of experience, William and Shannon specialize in repairing and restoring wood furniture, refinishing kitchen cabinets, remodeling kitchens, and building live-edge wooden tables. William and Shannon have won Awards for Excellence from the Better Business Bureau and the Houston Chronicle Best Small Business Award. Their work has also been featured in Houston Press Magazine - Kitchen Design. Additionally, the Furniture Refinishing Services team has conducted major refinishing work on venues such as NRG Stadium and Minute Maid Park.

William & Shannon Latil

Furniture Refinishing & Home Remodeling Specialists

Expert Answer

That's usually the best approach, yeah. That said, if you don't want to strip the old stain, you'll have better results using a darker stain or the same stain color that was previously applied.

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Question

What do I use as a top protection coat?

Community Answer

Varnish, lacquer, polyurethane, or soft penetrating oils will all provide some degree of protection, but varnish is the easiest and cheapest option.

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Question

Why do I need to stain it?

Community Answer

Stain preserves the wood and adds color. There are oils that can be used to preserve the wood without adding color, however, the oil will naturally darken the wood.

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Question

My table is only slightly damaged. Is there a way to freshen it up with out stripping it entirely?

Ashton Gilmore

Community Answer

You could attempt to reseal it. This would prevent further damage, but wouldn't improve the appearance.

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Can you use mineral spirits to clean off a wood table after sanding it?

Community Answer

Oils would color the table and nourish the wood, same as a butcher block. It would not; however, protect the wood from water damage.

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