Unlock professional-quality results with this detailed wood furniture refinishing project.
Time Multiple Days
ComplexityBeginner
Cost$51–100
Introduction
Ready to revive that worn furniture? Our guide on how to refinish wood furniture ensures beautiful, long-lasting results that you'll love.
One of the most satisfying things I have learned is how to refinish wood furniture. I can’t begin to tell you how many pieces of furniture that were once someone else’s garbage have landed in my hands. With the right attention, approach and dedication, another man’s garbage can become your treasure.
The hardest part about restoring a piece of wood furniture is developing the patience to see all the steps through. This is one DIY project you don’t want to rush, and it is highly unlikely you will get it done in one afternoon. Restoring old furniture is hardly ever straight forward, and a technique that worked for one piece might not work for another. The trick is to know your options and then have enough knowledge to do the detective work and make an effective plan.
The steps are basic and easy. Be patient and thorough, and people will think your refinished wood furniture is new!
Assess the condition
Take a good look at your piece of wood furniture from as many angles as possible. Use painter’s tape to pinpoint areas that will need extra attention, such as putty build-up or deep dings that will require extra sanding to even out. It is easy to overlook areas when the dust starts flying. Then, you will need to answer some questions to determine how you go about refinishing your piece of furniture:
Is the piece made out of solid wood, laminate, or veneered plywood?
A solid wood piece of furniture is one of the most forgiving and most suitable candidates for refinishing. With veneered plywood furniture, you need to be cautious when sanding, not to sand through the wood veneer. Laminate furniture is the worst candidate for refinishing because the plastic laminate won’t take sanding, stain, or paint well.
Are the joints solid, or do they need reinforcement?
If nails or screws are loose, secure them so no further damage is done while you are refinishing it. You want to work on a solid piece and avoid having a leg fall off while you are sanding. If it requires gluing, use clamps to get a tight fit and a paintbrush or screwdriver to push it down into any deep voids.
Is there a stain under the topcoat that you may have to match?
If you have stained wood under a topcoat or sealer, you will have difficulty doing a perfect color match. Stain and sealer colors change with age, making them yellow or even deepen in tone. Therefore, it is very difficult to get an exact match. This would be the time to consider painting the furniture a solid paint color. If you choose to paint it a solid paint color, you may use all the following steps, but add a good coat of primer before proceeding with paint instead of clear sealer.
Is the current finish water-based or oil-based?
This is the most important piece of detective work you must uncover. If the finish has a yellowing appearance, it is probably an oil-based finish. Also, if a piece of wood furniture was made before the 1980s, it is even more likely to be oil-based, as water-based clear sealers didn’t take off until then. The importance of this question lies in what paint, stain, or finish you plan to refinish it with. Water-based finishes can only go over water-based finishes, but oil-based finishes can cover everything.
Tools Required
- Air compressor w/ blower
- Clamps
- Flathead screwdriver
- Paint brush
- rubber profile sanding blocks
- Rubber profile sanding blocks or sanding sponges
- scrap block of wood for sanding
Materials Required
- 000 steel wool
- Assorted sandpaper
- Furniture hardware
- Oil-based finish
- Paint Rags
- Tack cloth
- Wood glue
- Wood putty
Project step-by-step (8)
Step 1
Clean the surface
Remove all of the hardware and clean the surface using a solution made up of three parts water and one part vinegar. This will help break down grease and grime. Be sure not to use a heavily saturated wet rag; you want to wipe off the dirt and grime and not leave a lot of excess moisture on the wood. Allow it to dry well before moving on.
Step 2
Focus on the extra attention areas
Start with deeper dings and scuffs and sand them smooth with 180-grit sandpaper. The goal is to sand back and even out chipped areas to achieve a smooth, even-looking surface.
Step 3
Fill large dings and holes
If you have deep dents, dings, holes, or voids that can’t easily be sanded back (or are through the veneer on plywood pieces), fill these areas with wood putty.
Color match the putty to the species of wood you are refinishing. Pine, walnut and oak colors are available on the shelves at large home centers. Most experienced refinishers mix colors of putty to achieve the tone they desire. You won’t know the exact color until it’s dry, so give yourself the time to do a test sample when the color matches.
Once you have the color ready, build it up so there is excess putty in the ding. Putty often shrinks as it dries. Allow it to dry, and sand it back to create an even surface.
Step 4
Add teeth to the surface
Use 220-grit sandpaper to lightly scuff the entire surface of your furniture. Sand the flat parts of the furniture with the flat side of a scrap block of wood wrapped in sandpaper, and go over any profiles with a rubber profile sanding block or sanding sponge.
The purpose of this step is to ensure your new finish has what is called “teeth.” This is the place where the new finish can bond with, hang on to, and blend with your old finish. Without adding “teeth” to the surface, the new finish may peel over time. The goal is not to remove the entire finish, so use a light touch when sanding.
Step 5
Remove the dust
Before applying the first coat of finish, you will want to remove all dust from the surface. Start with an air nozzle attached to an air compressor to get the bulk of the dust off the surface. Then, to remove the fine particles, use a tack cloth. Tack cloths can be found in the paint department at hardware stores or home centers.
Step 6
Apply new finish
Apply the new finish with a quality brush. You will be applying at least two to three coats. Allow each coat to dry completely before moving on to the next. Between the first and second coats, sand the entire surface with 320-grit sandpaper, concentrating on any raised grain. After the second coat, use 000 steel wool in between additional coats of sealer.
Before applying each coat of finish, make sure the furniture piece is dust-free at every stage. Don’t be surprised if you want to add a fourth or fifth coat of finish before it looks and feels good. A build-up of oil-based finish will also help conceal some of the areas you had to sand deeper.
Step 7
Install new hardware
To complete a full makeover on a wood refinishing project, install new cabinet hardware, including knobs, handles, pulls, or hinges.
Step 8
FAQ
Can you refinish furniture without stripping or sanding?
You can absolutely refinish furniture without stripping it. You will always have to do some bit of sanding when refinishing furniture.
What’s the difference between stripping and sanding wood furniture?
Stripping removes all finishes, leaving the wood in close to a natural state where pores and grain are no longer clogged with a sealer. You will be able to apply a new stain color if you strip the wood. Sanding will most likely leave sealer or paint in the pores or grain or the wood, meaning you will build up on the finish that is already there. You wont’ have a successful new stain application if some of the sealer is left behind.
Is it better to sand or strip wood furniture?
The decision to sand or strip wood furniture is determined by the condition of the wood and what you wish the finish to be. If you wish to restain it a different color all together, then you must strip it. If you wish to revive the surface and it doesn’t have a previous stain under the sealer, then you can sand a reapply a sealer.
What kind of furniture cannot be refinished?
A plastic or manmade laminate will not be a good candidate for refinishing because the sealer or paints floats on the surface as opposed to penetrating into the wood. Making it easily scratched and chipped.
Is it cheaper to refinish or replace wood furniture?
It is less expensive to refinish wood furniture than to replace it.
