Wood finishing of any kind isn’t terribly complicated, but because it requires some attention to detail, along with a good dose of patience, it seems more complicated than it is. Today I’ve got some tips and tricks to help you refinish that wood trim in your home so that it looks great!
Wood trim can take many forms, such as a fireplace mantel and surround, window trim, or baseboards. Whatever trim you need to refinish, the first and most important step is sanding. For most trims, the size will mean that you need to sand by hand. If you have a larger piece, you can use a hand orbital sander. No matter which you use, it’s important to follow the natural grain of the wood when sanding, no matter which type of wood you’re working with. If you are refinishing, you will sand until the previous stain has been sanded away. If you are finishing for the first time, sand until the wood is completely smooth and free of any rough spots that could cause splinters. You also want to remove any blemishes, including dirt, fingerprints, and manufacturer’s sticker residue.
Keep using fresh sanding paper and/or sanding sponges throughout your job, and it moves quite fast.
Once sanding is completed, be sure to clean up before proceeding with stain. Any residual sawdust negatively affects the finished product.
The Family Handyman recommends using a quality brush to apply the stain, and then quickly wipe it back off with a clean cotton rag. Don’t be skimpy with the stain; apply a good amount to be sure you have even coverage. Then wipe it off evenly, applying equal pressure. {If you wipe too lightly, you will know by the steaks that are left behind}. You should also apply and wipe off stain in the direction of the wood grain, always.
Finish it off with a couple coats of fast-drying polyurethane. A spray-on finish is quick and easy to apply. Just keep the can moving and apply light coats to avoid drips. A light sanding with 220-grit sandpaper between coats makes for an extra-smooth finish.
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