Vintage Home Furniture

refinishing old furniture? Strip or sand away old finish?

My kids are old enough that I can start refinishing the old furniture that family has given us. Is it easier to strip away the old finish or sand it off. All the furniture is stained and not painted. I think some of it is in good enough contition that I can stain it in a different color. Do I strip it? If so what do you recommend that is not toxic to pets or kids. Or do I sand it, if so what grit to start with? If you need additional info, just let me know and I can add to the question. I have refinished furniture before but it was when I was younger and didn't have kids to worry about.

Public Comments

1. you need to keep away from your kids unless they are old enough to help. strip it first and then sand it to get to bare wood. go to your local sherwin williams dealer and they will zero you in on products and help. good luck , love that wood!
2. if the finish isn't to thick, i don't see why you couldn't sand, but make sure that you do it outside, cause it'll get REAL dusty. I've done both, the stripper is messy, but you don't get the sanding scratches. I would probably start off with 80 grit sand paper, and then go up from there. the higher the # the finer the grit good luck
3. it takes more time to sand but it looks better in the end.
4. The best way is to strip it first. I prefer to use a gel stripper. These do not run and stay active for up to 24 hours. Take that off with a putty knife, and for spindles, and corners, course steel wool. You will then have to sand the furniture out. Start with a course paper and work to a fine grit. It may actually take two or three descending grades of paper to get the right look and feel. A wood conditioner should then be applied so that the stain maintains an even color, and then stain and varnish. I do not recommend the 2-in-1 stain and varnish, I prefer to stain then use a polyurethane varnish. I have found that Minwax is some of the best stain and varnish to use. Unfortunately none of these steps are kid or pet friendly. It is best to do any stripping, staining or painting away from pets and children, and in well ventilated areas.