Refinishing Furniture – Sanding versus Stripping + Video
This tutorial will show you the best way to refinish furniture, sanding versus paint remover/stripper
Have you wanted to refinish a piece of wooden furniture but weren’t sure whether sanding or stripping it would be better?
I often sand furniture to remove stain or paint but wanted to see how easily using paint remover/stripper would be. Here is what I found out!
Applying the stripper is easy, removing it is hard
Sanding is loud, more time consuming and dusty
Using Paint Stripper
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Supplies:
- lead testing kit (good idea to check for lead first!)
- chemical gloves
- paint remover (I like this one)
- chip brush (don’t use expensive brushes)
- putty knife (plastic one best to it doesn’t make marks)
directions:
1.Apply a thick coating of paint stripper to the wood furniture.
2. Start from the top and work your way down and let gravity will help you.
3. Wait 10-15 minutes before scraping it off with a putty knife.
Tip: If the directions on the paint remover say to wait longer, you may need to cover the furniture with a sheet of plastic to eliminate the stripper drying. You can test it after 10-15 minutes anyway.
4. Scrape the scrapings into an old tin or plastic container and properly discard it.
5. If any paint or stain remains, repeat steps above.
For this wooden chair, I did NOT like using the paint stripper. The chair was too curved to properly scrape off the paint. There were also two coats of old paint on the chair which made it harder to remove. There were also too many angles to work with a chair.
In the end, I still had to sand the parts of paint that would not come off. And after the paint stripper was all removed, there was still a gummy residue that made sanding harder!
Also, if you had fine details to sand off (like when we sanded my antique armoire), it would be really difficult to scrape off.
Sanding
Sanding is pretty straightforward but it’s time consuming, loud and dusty. It does leave a beautiful finish though.
Sanders:
My favorite everyday sander is this Black & Decker Mouse sander. It’s a great price and it’s perfect for getting into tight corners. I also purchase other brands sanding sheets which work great.
The Dremel tool with sanding accessories is perfect for getting into intricate details. We sanded this entire armoire down to remove the orange-y stain. We added a white wax once it was down to its natural finish (my favorite white wax is Miss Mustard Seed made by Fusion Mineral Paint).
In the end, its what I did with this bistro chair too (used white wax).
Sanding versus stripping
In the end I think that using paint remover/stripper for flat large surfaces is best and using the sander for angles and intricate details.
If you have to remove paint or stain from the top of a dresser or large table, a paint stripper would be easy (and satisfying).
If you know for sure you’re going to sand an area, I wouldn’t add paint remover/stripper to it first as it will make the surface gummy and harder to sand. Sanding is best left for those harder to reach areas.
I still prefer sanding but when I need to strip paint or stain off a flat surface, I’ll use paint remover/stripper.
I hope you found this post helpful!
video:
Be sure to watch my YouTube video on how sanding versus stripping furniture!
Make sure to pin it for later!
click in case you missed:
How to Prep Furniture For Painting
I am currently working on refinishing an old French China cabinet. Your comments were informative and spot on. All your refinished pieces have turned out beautiful and done with care. You and hubby have a lot to be proud of.
Aww, thank you Darlene! I’m sure your piece will be beautiful too!
Hugs, Jamie
Jamie,
Great tips for when to sand and when to strip. Pinned for future reference, including your favorite products.
Judith
Thanks so much, Judith! So glad you found it helpful.
Hugs, Jamie
The only thing to remember when sanding is that older paint finishes might contain lead. In that case you would only want to use stripper. Great job on the armoire and the chair. Best wishes for much happiness in your new marriage!
Hi Susan,
Yes! That is a great tip! I’ll be sure to add it to my post!
Hugs, Jamie
Great post! I’m an amateur at furniture restoration (but I love it) and deciding whether to sand or strip is a question I struggle with. Thanks!
Such a struggle! Hope this was helpful 🙂
Hugs, Jamie
Great info, especially about the white wax and great pieces that you’ve completed! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much, Sarah!
Hugs, Jamie
Wow, that armoire is beautiful! Also , the chair has been restored to its true beauty. I currently am debating taking the stain off of my espresso dining set. I bought it back when it was “in” and it’s in such good shape and also is good quality, im afraid to let it go. I would love to have a light/natural look, not the shabby nor weathered look.
Hi Lisa,
I know, it’s a lot of work but it just looks soooo good in the natural finish, doesn’t it? Did you see how we sanded this big armoire to its natural finish? We used a white wax on it afterwards. It needs some sort of wax on it to prevent hand oils from ruining it.
Good luck!
Hugs, Jamie
Oops, here’s the post I was referring to: https://somuchbetterwithage.com/decide-whether-not-give-antique-furniture-makeover/
Thanks for this! I am attempting to refinish my first piece of furniture, a large wooden bench. It has a thick coat of polyurethane sealant and a dark wood stain. What grit sandpaper do you recommend?
This sounds like a great project! I usually start with 80-120 grit sandpaper to remove the finish and 120-220 for a smooth finish.
Hope that helps!
Hugs, Jamie
I came across your blog after looking for paint stripping ideas. I would like to restore the front door of my 230-year-old house . Unfortunately, it’s covered in hundreds of years worth of paint and I don’t know what condition the wood is. I also have to do this with the door attached to the hinges : ) What would you recommend to make this easier?
BTW I really enjoy reading the blog.