Painting over stain on cedar wood

Question

I have two glider chairs that are looking weathered (not in a good way) and need to be freshened up.  Also, they were stained before wood had cured and have dried sap in around knot holes.   Can I paint over stain and what do I need to do to prepare wood for painting?

Julie Stenske · Answer

Sanding the wood, to clean it or take off any varnish,  should make the paint stick. There are colored stains that might cover the brown stain. If you sand it enough you can lighten most of the brown stain and put a red or blue penetrating stain over it. Not an opaque stain. The opaque stain is like paint, it will eventually peel. Once something is stained , you can just stain or paint over it.

Janet Pizaro · Answer

You will need to sand them down first as the new paint or stain will not adhere correctly.

Marilee H · Answer

Yes, sand, but then use a good stain blocking primer (Kilz is one example) to help prevent bleed through of stain or sap from the knotholes.

Michelle Leslie · Answer

Do you know if the stain was water or oil based? Most older stains were oil based and they're a bit tougher to prepare for a new paint job. A shellac primer should do the trick, and you can buy it in a spray can which will make it a little easier to get into all of those gaps and grooves. If the chairs are going to be outside I've found that roof paint works really well and lasts a long time in the elements. Hope it helps.

Peter Kovak · Answer

The arm chair is really beautiful. If it were mine I would completely disassemble it, sand each part, clean with mineral spirit (prepare it for painting), build it again and then look at it, close my eyes and decide what to apply on it: paint, varnish,  or oil. If the wood has beautiful grain I think it's a pity to hide it with paint. There are oils that cure quickly and don't stain the clothes, and there are all sorts of lacker that look really good and also give a good protection to the wood. In the end you'll have to decide what to do!!!

Nasim Uddin · Answer

As you know cedar wood is very beautiful, so if you want to give it a natural looks then Just give it a proper sanding and after that use a good exterior stain to finish it. I hope it will helps.

Johnavallance82 · Answer

Rub down and then use a Knotting compound before re staining or painting.

Painting over stain on cedar wood

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Painting over stain on cedar wood

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