How to Refinish a Dining Room Table?

Answer 1

Are you tired of looking at your same old dining room table day after day? Do you want the look of new furniture but do not have the budget to replace it? Here is a way that you can change the look of your dining room yourself by refinishing your table. Just follow these steps, and watch your table transform.

Step 1: Gather together these materials: • rags • sandpaper in 100, 150 and 220 grit • stain in your choice of color • polyurethane (water based is best, because it dries quickly) • brushes for staining • tack cloth • belt sander or hand sanding tools (remember to sand and stain with the grain of the wood)

Step 2: Sand the entire table, including the legs and sides. When using a belt sander, be careful not to nick or gouge the wood. Use the 100 grain sandpaper for the first sanding and removal of the finish from the table, then move up to the 150 grain and then the 200 grain for the last of the removal process.

Step 3: Take the tack cloth and remove the sanding dust from the dining room table.

Step 4: Apply the stain of your choice, going with the grain, liberally and then wipe off. The longer you leave the stain on before wiping it off, the darker the color it will be.

Step 5: Lightly sand the table again. (The wood swells as the stain is applied, and sanding knocks the raised wood fibers down so that the table remains smooth.)

Step 5: Apply a second coat of stain. If you desire a darker or richer color, apply more stain one coat at a time, until you have obtained the desired color and look. Sand between each coat of stain.)

Step 6 : Apply the polyurethane after the last coat of stain has been applied. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s directions for the best results. Apply at least four coats of polyurethane, and allow them to dry between each application.

Step 7: Allow the final coat of polyurethane to dry for at least 24 hours before using the dining room table.

You have just transformed your tired, old dining room table, and it wasn't so hard, was it? Now, how about those chairs? Have fun and enjoy your dining room furniture's new look.

Answer 2

Over time, beautiful wooden table tops can become, well, not so beautiful. Unfortunately, the once rich and vibrant wooden table can become faded out, discolored and dull (or possibly even scratched). Instead of going out and searching out another new table, make the choice to refinish the table top rendering it gorgeous and vivacious once again.

Preparing the Table Top

Because the wood on the table top is in poor condition, it cannot be reconditioned without sanding it down to its fresh wood underneath. Make sure before completing the sanding process that the surface is very smooth and not coarse or rough. Remove all dust and particles from the table top so that the new wooden canvas is completely ready to be refinished.

Apply First Coat of Varnish to Table Top

With a paintbrush, apply a smooth and even layer of varnish across the table top. Make sure this layer is thin because another coat will be later applied. You’ll also want to stroke in the direction of the wood grain for a very natural appearance. Stroking horizontally will produce odd results. It’s also important to take your time while doing this because you don’t want to have awkward streaks in your end result. After applying the first, thin layer of varnish, allow it to completely dry. This could take many hours, so allow ample time for drying. Sand the table top lightly after the coat has dried.

Apply Two More Coats of Varnish to Table Top

Now that you’re first coat of varnish has completely dried, you are now ready to apply the second coat. Again, stroking steadily and carefully in the direction of the wood grain, apply the next batch of varnish. You will again let the wood dry, and apply your third coat lastly. If you’d like to add a few more coats to achieve a solid shine, this is completely okay. Remember to sand between each coat, but don’t sand after the last.

Answer 3

Refinishing your kitchen cabinets is a wonderful way to improve the look of your home while also increasing its real estate value. The majority of homeowners spend most of their time in the kitchen. If you like to entertain company a lot, you will probably spend even more time in this warm and inviting room. The problem that many people face is that their kitchens are old and boring. Your cabinets may be old, dingy, and scratched-looking. The unfortunate part is that buying brand new cabinets can be incredibly expensive, especially if you purchase them new from a home improvement store in your area. Because of this, more and more homeowners are learning how to refinish their cabinets by themselves.

Refinishing cabinets in the kitchen is a wonderful way to save yourself hundreds or even thousands of dollars. There is nothing worse than old and dingy cabinets, but by refinishing them, you will be happy with the way that they look and not unhappy about the price you paid for them. For most home improvement projects, it is important that you sand the cabinets down to remove any clear coating that they may have on them. You will also need to remove the old finish so that the cabinets are left in their raw state. After that, you will want to use a new finish and read all directions on the can before applying it to the wood.

Another thing that many people do not take into consideration is that adding new hardware to the cabinets will give it a fresh, new look. For instance, change those old silver knobs out for more updated brushed nickle ones. You can find a lot of ideas on the internet and making a trip to your local home improvement store will help when you are on the hunt for some refinishing stain and new knobs and hardware. You will find that the entire job of refinishing your cabinets is one that is easy and practically inexpensive on your part. The only thing that this job requires is that you put a little time into everything while at home and working on the cabinets.