How do I finish our dining room table?

Erena
by Erena

I want to redo my dining room table. After I stain it, what is the best finish to put on? Oil or water base and what sheen?

  4 answers
  • Leeanne Leeanne on Feb 19, 2019

    Satin always looks best for sheen....gloss looks to plastic and screams cheap. I personally like water based for cleanup and odor reasons and it dries faster a good thing if you have pet hair flying around... Polyacryllic has worked well for me before. I used several coats of satin on an old dining table that I refinished and sold it for more than I bought it for. :)

  • Landsharkinnc Landsharkinnc on Feb 19, 2019

    the sheen is a personal choice, I like the 'semi-gloss'; and for a surface that gets a LOT of use I'd go with an oil base, but if it's a formal table and only used for holidays I'd opt for water base. Be sure to select a type that is 'NON-YELLOWING' -- the staff at a well supplied home improvement center can advise you

  • Natalie Natalie on Feb 19, 2019

    Oil based is going to hold up better than waterbased. I've heard amazing things about General Finishes Enduro Var for dining tables! They also say that the higher the sheen, the more durable it is. So I wouldn't do anything less than a satin sheen.

  • Jenni Ingram Jenni Ingram on Feb 19, 2019

    I refinished mine using this method: https://rootsandwingsfurniture.com/blog/kitchentablemakeover/ I'd recommend General Finishes Arm R Seal. It's an oil based finish that hold up beautifully!