Hello everybody, I have just bought dining chairs that were sold by Superstore/Loblaws. The chairs look like this:
[IMG]http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a35/nmatarag/whitechair.jpg[/IMG]
I love the chair style and will be doing some work on the upholstery. However, I do not like the colour of the wood - it is a honey-ish colour. I would prefer a dark mahogany colour.
The chair frame is definitely made of wood. The legs are smooth to the touch, which leads me to think there is some varnish/lacquer on them, but the grain is not very distinctive. I tried sanding a bit of the wood but all I got was a rough patch and a slightly lighter colour. Is this what I should expect?
Do you guys think I can restain the legs? How would I do this? or is painting an option?
Thanks in advance for your help!
nelly :o
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nelly, welcome to the forum !
from what I know : stain penetrates wood, so if you want to re-stain a lighter colour, you will have to sand back to absolutely bare wood before beginning; if you want to go darker, should be OK. You should also use a clear protection over your stain once finished, like a clear polyurethane. This will protect the wood from scrathes as well as enhance the look of the wood. Poly comes in various finishes, satin, clear, gloss, high-gloss etc., just make sure and get one that is water-washable if that is your preference - I HATE the ones that are oil-based !!!!
Staining is not hard - maybe you could get a few pieces of spare lumber from somewhere or even buy an inexpensive plank and practice until you feel confident to start your chairs. If you are not sure about the colour, it may be better to go one or two colours lighter and apply more coats of stain to get the look you want. Again, practice may be your best weapon.
BTW (by the way) nice chairs!
Good luck !
By the descriptions, only the whiping stain can be used on prefinished surfaces. If you can get one of those legs off, I'd take it to Lee Valley and see what they suggest. They could also tell you what to expect as far as a finished product before you start so you would go away with realistic expectations. They are usually really helpful and their products are excellent.
Hello, I had a look at the Lee Valley website and found Old Masters® Penetrating, Wiping & Gel Stains. Is this what you are referring to? Do I buy the gel stain?
Thanks again for your help!
Cheers,
nelly
on their site they have some stain that can be used over existing finishes. I have no idea how the finished product looks but going darker, it might be worth a try as it would save a lot of sanding.
it should be easy to stain them. They are of square shape, so it's easier to sand too. Once you have the varnish/laquer sanded off, it's just a matter of following the directions on the can of new stain.
Good luck, and be sure to show us the "after" photos
kipper