Stripper or strictly sanding: which is better to refinish old wood?
Related Discussions
Should I paint or stain my oak kitchen cabinets?
I was wondering if you could help me with something -- I have an entirely oak kitchen. I know it's the rage now to paint or gel stain cabinets. I've been considering ... See more
How to paint a metal front door?
How do I paint my front door? It's metal.
How to paint grout?
How do I paint grout to change the color? The grout is in great shape, but the color - meh.
How to whitewash a brick fireplace?
What is the best method to whitewash bricks surrounding a fireplace?
How can I refinish a Teek Wood shower stool. I sanded it. What next?
Should I re-stain or paint my cabinets?
Edit:โโโ 3 years later๐ I decided to paint them white and I am so very pleased with the results!We bought a new house with these ugly cabinets. I really cann... See more
Unless the wood is veneer, both should work, although the stripper won't boo-boo and sand off too much and make it uneven. Neither one should weaken the wood. My father refinished antiques all the time and used stripper and they came out fantastic!
citri strip is a decent stripper agent. The pluse for my nose is that it doesnโt smell as bad as others. You will need a tool the scrape the the stripper agent and goo off the bookcase. When its off you will need to clean the wood. Water will raise the graining, you can use rubbing alcohol on a lint free cloth. Examine the piece for damaged areas and repair. Then choose to either stain and varnish, or prime and paint
You may to give it a light sanding before the new finish goes on. Get the sanding dust off before your finish coats. Okay Freddy grey wants his dinner...
I hand sanded my trunks which were filthy ( sounds ominous Ha) but was the best result , then applied Bry Wax. So lovely with good shine. Also did this indoors as weather does not permit outside work most of the time. Electric sanders are messy and corners are tricky.
The major reason for stripping it is the possibility of lead paint being present. If you sand it the paint particles go air born...and can be inhaled and cause a few issues.