Furnishings

How to Restain Countertop Edging

Wear and tear, and everyday cleaning, can cause stained timber countertop edging to lose its warm appearance, however you can remove the old stain and employ fresh. You can even alter the appearance of the trimming by utilizing a fresh shade of stain. Although stain might seem deeply embedded in the wood, in most cases it’s possible to lift it with easily available wood stain removers located in home improvement centers and hardware stores. Harsh chemical strippers are no longer mandatory for eliminating stain and other finishes, which means you can choose an effective non-toxic merchandise if you like.

Sterile

Wood counter edges accumulate a lot of grime, grease and food particles. Although strippers remove just about any substance, cleaning the timber border before massaging enables the stripper to penetrate better and lift more of their old stain. Mild oil soap for timber is a non-toxic cleanser which softens old kitchen grease, allowing you to clean it off more readily. Mix oil soap and warm water in a skillet, and wash the countertop edge with a sponge. Old grease and meals are sometimes stubborn, so use an old toothbrush or a dull-edge metal scraper to remove anything that does not wipe off easily. Although oil soap is secure for sealed wood, you should not flooding the countertop edge with the liquid. Nicks or scratches through the old finish can absorb the water, which can produce the wood stained.

Protect

Before stripping off the old stain, you should protect the surrounding areas from stripper and the brand new stain and top finish coat. Painter’s tape creates a clean, sharp border between the countertop and the timber edging, and holds up plastic sheeting to protect the cupboard doors and drawers. An errant drop of stripper could ruin the face of your cabinets. Fall fabrics are also advisable for shielding the floor. Even ceramic tile is vulnerable, as a trickle of stained wood blot could permanently discolor the grout. Paint stripper can soften the painter’s tape adhesive if you accidentally get some on the tape, so get rid of the tape after stripping the border and apply a fresh layer before applying stain.

Strip

There are myriad timber stain strippers available in home improvement centers and hardware shop, but you don’t want one with harsh, smelly substances. Newer, nontoxic products are available that cut through water- and oil-based stains and sealers, and many of them work equally as quickly. Gel formulas are convenient for a novice to manage. The material is thicker than liquid strippers. It remains in place and does not dry out as quickly as liquids, and it brushes on with an old craft brush or disposable paintbrush. Following the stripper has dissolved the old stain and sealer, which is anywhere from a few hours to overnight, scrape it off with a metal scraper or a five-in-one painter’s scraping tool. Five-in-one scraper tools look like an odd-shaped putty knife with a metal lip on one end of border for reaching into small spaces. Sanding off the old stain and bleach rather than stripping is also an option, however, sandpaper and sanding sponges can harm edging with delicate information.

Stain

Wood stain can be found in water- or oil-based gels and liquids. Water-based stain absorbs and dries in as little as two hours, while oil-based stain absorbs and dries . In humid weather, oil-based stain can remain tacky following 24 hours. Mix stain thoroughly by shaking the tin or stirring the materials, and apply the stain with a paintbrush or sponge. After waiting approximately 5 minutes, wipe off the excess stain with a rag. Some people today would rather rub stain into the wood with a rag rather than brushing it on and then wiping it off, and this method works particularly well with gel stains. You can even stain wood with wood dyes, which work similarly to water-based stains. Dyes supply a wide variety of colors including standard wood tones and vibrant colors such as red, yellow and blue.

Seal

Even with oil-based stain, apply a top finish coat such as varnish to protect the wood from water and stains. Polyurethane is among the most common and easily available wood finishes, and can be found in water- and oil-based formulas. You can apply polyurethane with a fine-bristle wood complete brush as though you’re painting the timber, or rub it into the countertop edge with a rag. Rubbing on varnish leaves a natural looking finish, but brushing it creates a thicker, more protective layer. Apply at least 2 coats, but don’t use more than the instructions recommend. If applied too thickly, it can chip or flake out after it heals.

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