For pieces where you have a dark finish and want to go lighter, you will need to remove the existing finish first. Then, determine what undertone your wood has and counteract it with an appropriate stain color. For pieces that are a light finish, and you want to go darker, you can simply apply a darker stain!
This means sanding the oak to create a smooth surface. Once the sanding is complete, apply a stain or paint to achieve the desired color. If painting, use a primer before applying the paint and make sure to use a high-quality paint that has been specifically designed for wooden surfaces.
Oak is one of the easier woods to stain. It tends to absorb stain evenly and lightly, just enough to highlight the beautiful natural grain. This is because oak wood has large pores that soak the stain up just the right amount.
PolyShades stain and polyurethane also allows you to easily change the color of your currently stained or varnished wood without stripping. Over old varnish you can change the color without removing the old finish or hiding the grain.
But only one will remove the natural color from wood: a two-part wood bleach of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) and hydrogen peroxide. Other wood bleaches are chlorine bleach and oxalic acid. Chlorine bleach, which is like ordinary laundry bleach, will remove dye color from wood, but not the wood's natural color.
Examine the wood material
If a piece uses multiple types of wood—for example, oak and maple—then painting it is best. Pieces that use multiple woods present a problem with staining because every wood takes to stain differently and won't look exactly the same. Paint will cover all surfaces with ease.
When preparing wood for stain, you'll need to sand its surface. Use a sanding sponge or orbital sander. Sandpaper with a lower grit number will make wood rougher, allowing more stain to absorb and creating a darker color. Start with 120-grit sandpaper for pieces that already have a finish.
A New Coat of Paint…
A lick of paint can really liven up an older piece of furniture that might have seen better days. Of course, oak has a glorious natural grain that looks fantastic with a bit of polish but sometimes a change of colour can really revitalise a piece.
If the oak needs to be made darker then Osmo Polyx Oil Tints or Fiddes Hard Wax Oil Tints are ideal because they colour and protect the wood in the same application.
Create aged wood texture
A wire brush attachment will remove soft areas of wood and let the grain shine. Fit the attachment into the drill and run the bristles back and forth over the wood, going with the grain. Repeat until the wood is textured. Finish by lightly sanding the surface with a fine-grit sandpaper.
The only effective way to lighten the color of wood after it has been stripped of all surface coatings is to use a wood bleach. Sanding does help to lighten wood in many cases, but this only applies to surface soil or grime, and even then only if the discoloration has not penetrated very deeply.
Can You Stain Wood Without Sanding? Good news, you can stain wood without sanding the old finish off! But you'll still have to do some prep to make the new gel stain bond properly with the old stain. Start by always cleaning the old finish with a good cleaner and degreaser, like TSP.
Using a lint free rag is the best way to apply wood stain because it is great for controlling the amount of stain that is applied and for removing any excess stain. Also, the rag leaves a beautiful, even, and brush stroke free finish. It also can easily be thrown out once finished.
The good news is that oak can be painted and it can be beautiful when done professionally. The problem with painting oak is that oak is a very open grainy type of wood. It can be very hard to fill the open grain with paint to give the surface a nice, smooth look and feel.
An oil-based paint would also be ideal for furniture like this as it is incredibly durable. You also can use an oil-based paint without primer (although we would always recommend using one just in case). A disadvantage to this type of paint is that it takes a lot longer to dry.
As long as you have healthy hardwood, you can sand and refinish it. You will need to fully sand the floor first. After sanding, you can stain the floor a different color. From there, you add the finish.
Generally speaking, wood floors can be restored without sanding by recoating, using either mechanical or chemical methods.