Hardwoods such as maple and oak: start with #120 and finish-sand no finer than #180 (for water base stains) and #150 grit for
With unfinished wood, start with 80-grit sandpaper and then treat it as if you're refinishing it. When you have removed imperfections and sanded the entire surface, wipe off the dust and loose sandpaper grit. Sand with 180-grit until you've removed all the marks left by the 120-grit and the surface appears level.
Be sure to progress up through every grit level; 60, 80, 100, 120, 150, 180, 220 and on. Typically you will want to stop at 180 or 220 if you are planning to stain the wood. Higher grits will close the pores of the wood and make it difficult for stain to penetrate. Go with the grain.
Yes, it's generally a good idea to sand an old stain before restaining wood. Here are the reasons why and some steps to consider: Remove Old Finish: Sanding helps to remove the old stain and any finish that may be on the wood, which allows the new stain to adhere better.
To prepare wood is simple as sanding it smooth and removing any marks or stains, some stains may need to be removed with a wood cleaning solution. If you are unsure if you have remove all the marks etc get a lint free rag and some turpentine, wipe the wood with the rag slightly moistened with turps.
On most raw woods, start sanding in the direction of the grain using a #120-150 grit paper before staining and work up to #220 grit paper. Soft woods such as pine and alder: start with #120 and finish with no finer than #220 (for water base stains) and 180 grit for oil base stains.
Unquestionably, the most efficient progression is to sand through every grit – #80, #100, #120, #150, #180 – sanding just enough with each to remove the scratches of the previous grit. But most of us sand more than we need to, so it's often more efficient to skip grits.
Pressure Washing Prepares the Deck Surface for Stain
The prospect of a newly stained deck begins with comprehensively preparing the deck surface. Sanding the entire deck is often necessary to purge any remnants of old stain, paint, or varnish, thereby ensuring the wood is primed for a fresh application.
The good news is it is technically possible to make a stain treatment lighter. The bad news is it takes an extraordinary amount of effort, and it's often better to replace the wood entirely or paint over it.
Minwax® PolyShades® is an easy way to change the color of your currently stained or polyurethane finished wood. There's no stripping or heavy sanding necessary to remove the old finish!
It's best to use a backing pad when wet sanding to achieve a uniform finish. Instead of using small circles as you would with dry sanding, wet sand in a straight line, first horizontally and then vertically.
A medium grit may be sufficient for shallower divots or general over-sanded areas. Typically, alternating from 60 to 180 grit sandpaper in stages (80, 120, 150, then 180) helps erase sanding marks while gradually achieving a smooth, level surface.
Using a stain pad apply the stain evenly in the direction of the grain, two or three boards at a time, moving from end to end. Continue to the exposed ends. Allow the stain to dry for one to two hours before applying a second coat.
Often when people restain timber, the old Stain is either sanded away, is already flaking off, or can be restained over. While you can restain a deck over an existing stain without sanding or removing the existing peeling product, this isn't always recommended and can leave your deck looking a little worse for wear.
Water-based stains need to be stripped off before you apply a new finish, while oil-based stains can be recoated after you use a deck cleaner. To test the stain: Apply a small amount of deck stripper to a small area on your deck. Let it sit for about 15 minutes, then wipe it off with a cleaning rag.
In general, how deeply a finish penetrated the wood depended more on the species of wood than on whether the finish was oil- or water-based, or listed as a film-forming or penetrating stain. For example, in lodgepole pine, deep was 3/8 inch; in cedar, deep was more than 1 1/4 inches.
The short answer is YES! There are many ways to make dark stained wood lighter. All of these techniques are how I got a beautiful light natural wood finish on our coffee table makeover. Originally I thought that achieving this look was going to be impossible (hence my disclaimer above).
How To Lighten Wood Stain? For hard to lighten wood stain, use oxalic acid, known as "wood bleach." If that doesn't work, strip off the old stain and start fresh.
Use a low grit like 60-80 on rough areas. Then progress to higher grits like 120-150 if desired. How smooth to sand is a personal preference once splinters and roughness has been removed. Handrails may warrant extra attention and finer sandpaper grits.
A high-quality natural bristle brush with soft but firm bristles is recommended for applying stain to a deck. Using the right brush and following the manufacturer's instructions is essential to avoid drips and streaks.
The Golden Rule of Sanding
The golden rule for choosing your sequence is to never skip more than 1 grit. For example, if you start with P80, and need to finish at P240, rather than using every grit from P80 – P220, you can do P80 – P120 – P180 – P240. This sequence cuts out P100, P150 and P220.
With enough time and energy spent sanding, you can still end up with the same result. However, because we skipped so many grits, it is going to take much more time and effort to lower the 80-grit peaks and establish the 180-grit scratch pattern that we need for a high-level finish.
You should see little tiny circular squiggles all over the surface. Sanding with a pneumatic/rotary sander? You should see broad, circular/arc patterns in the wood.