How to Stain Wood Furniture Like a Pro

1. Prepare Work Area and Furniture for Sanding

   Choose a ventilated, protected area, such as outside under a patio cover, in a garage with the door open, or in a well-ventilated shop. Avoid windy areas, since wind can deposit dust and other debris on your work. Place plastic sheeting under the wood furniture before sanding it down. Remove everything from the furniture that will not be sanded, including hinges, knobs, and decorative pieces. Place these items in plastic bags and set them aside.

2. Sand Furniture

   Carefully sand down the wood furniture. Begin sanding by hand with a sanding block or foam sanding sponge to level down lumpy paint or lacquer. Move to the power sander with fine-grit sandpaper such as #220 for the flat surfaces. Chair spindles can be sanded down by wrapping the sandpaper around the surface and sliding it up and down by hand.

3. Remove Dust

   With the shop vacuum brush attachment and the tack cloth, thoroughly clean the furniture to remove all dust. Test for cleanliness by wiping it down with a clean, white microfiber cloth.

   Warning

   Do not press firmly on the tack cloth. Doing so can embed wax into the wood, necessitating further sanding.

4. Prepare Area for Staining

   Remove the furniture from the area. Remove the sheet plastic carefully to avoid spreading dust. Replace the plastic sheet with a cloth dropcloth or with contractor masking paper. Elevate the piece on scrap pieces of two-by-four for better access to the bottom of the piece.

5. Mix Stain

   Wearing latex gloves, open the can with a paint can opening tool or a screwdriver. With a paint stirring stick or a popsicle-style wood stick, slowly stir the stain to mix it up. Do not shake the can. Pour the stain into the empty 1-quart paint pail.

6. Begin Staining

   Use the microfiber staining pad or brush to stain the wood furniture. To do so, dip part of the pad in the stain and squeeze out the excess. Then, wipe the stain across the wood furniture. Start with the most visible areas, ending with less visible areas.

7. Wipe Excess Stain

   As you are staining, occasionally go back and wipe off excess stain with a fresh microfiber cloth. Wiping off the excess stain creates a more consistent color and prevents blotchy areas. Don't progress too far on the piece before coming back to wipe off excess, since excess stain will eventually soak into the piece and create dark spots. Working in the direction of the wood grain will provide the best visual results.

8. Let Stain Dry

   Wood stain dries to the touch fairly quickly and you can move the piece within a couple of hours, if needed. Let the piece dry in a warm, dust-free area.

9. Apply Protective Coating

   After the wood furniture is fully dry, apply a clear protective coating. Applying water- or oil-based polyurethane spray is a good way to protect the piece, while letting the beauty of the stain show through.

   Spray only in an area free of drafts. Drafts create overspray. Overspray is not visible, but it does result in a rough surface that can be fixed only by a final sanding with fine-grit #320 or #220 sandpaper.

When to Call a Professional

It's often best to have a professional furniture restorer stain wood furniture with delicate or intricate texturing and designs, as these areas can be difficult to sand. For antique pieces of value, it's worthwhile to have a professional take on the project rather than attempting to do it by yourself.