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| Leave it to the pro. Michael Dresdner, a nationally known wood finishing and woodworking expert, has answered hundreds of common wood finishing questions in Varathane’s Q&A library to help you successfully complete your project. Click on a link to the left for help and solid advice. |
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| Q: I would like to refinish oak cabinets, perhaps with green stain. Is there a chemical way to remove the polyurethane on the cabinets without sanding?
A: Certainly. It is called, appropriately enough, paint remover, and you will find it at any home store. A strong paint remover is quicker and more efficient than sanding, and will not remove wood the way sanding does, but it is messy and requires safety gear and good ventilation. If you have never tackled this before you might want to read up on the process in a book that covers finishing and refinishing. |  | |
| Q: I would like to stain the plywood shed under my deck. The plywood looks pretty weathered and looks like it has never been stained before. Should I sand before staining and, if so, what type of sander should I use? Also, what type of stain do you recommend?
A: You should sand at the very least. I would first clean the surface, then wash it with a ten percent solution of oxalic acid. Once the acid dries, wipe off any residue and sand uniformly so the wood looks raw and new rather than aged. At that point you can use whatever stain you like, but since it is going to be outdoors, choose one that is either exterior or interior/exterior. Another consideration is to make sure the stain is compatible with the finish you choose. Alternately, you can simply use deck and fence stain or wood siding stain, both of which are more or less one step products for exterior wood. | | |
| Q: We have a sailboat, past owners have stained the Teak wood a dark cherry color. How can we remove the stain short of sanding the entire cabin of a 46 foot sailboat?
A: There is no guarantee that you can, but the odds are that at least some of the color will come out if you refinish. While sanding would take it all out, provided you sanded enough, you will find that most will probably come out with paint remover. Scrub with the remover using nylon abrasive pads once the bulk of the finish is off. Sadly, I think stripping chemically is not going to be much easier than sanding, and will certainly be more messy. Your call. | | |
| Q: I want to spray white lacquer on an enamel painted banister and balusters. Will I need to sand the existing paint down to the bare wood or could it be sealed out before I begin spraying?
A: As long as the finish is intact and not peeling or cracking, you don’t need to remove it. However, you do need to clean and degrease it, sand it lightly to de-gloss the paint, and add a coat of primer before you spray lacquer on it. I would suggest Zinsser BIN as the primer in this case. |
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