How to Refinish Oak Hardwood

Oak's distinctive look makes it popular.

Oak is a popular hardwood for floors and furniture. Refinishing oak hardwood, whether in floors or furniture, is a great way to preserve the beauty of oak and prepare it for future use. Learning to refinish oak hardwood will require you to learn about sanding, staining, and finishing the hardwood.

Things You'll Need

• Vacuum with brush attachment
• Random orbital sander
• Hand sander
• 80-grit sandpaper
• 120-grit sandpaper
• 220-grit sandpaper #220
• Tackcloth
• Paintbrush
• Wood stain
• Staining pads
• Polyurethane
• Paint roller (optional)

Instructions

1. Vacuum the oak to remove dust and debris. Use a brush attachment if there are many grooves in the hardwood.

2. Sand the oak with a sander and 80-grit sandpaper. Large areas like a hardwood floor should be sanded with a random orbital sander, while smaller areas like a table can be sanded with a hand sander. Sanding with low-grit sandpaper will remove the finish. Vacuum the oak after sanding.

3. Sand with 120-grit sandpaper, making several passes, and vacuum up the dust.

4. Sand with 220-grit sandpaper. This will smooth the finish and make the wood less prone to soaking up wood stain in a splotchy manner. Vacuum and wipe with a tackcloth.

5. Apply wood stain, using a paintbrush. Staining pads or a soft cloth can be used to soak up the extra stain from the wood. Do not walk on or touch the stained wood until it has dried.

6. Apply polyurethane, using a paintbrush or roller. Wait for the polyurethane to dry. Lightly sand the oak and then wipe it down with a tackcloth. Apply another coat of polyurethane. Two coats of polyurethane are sufficient for small oak hardwood applications like furniture, while applications like floors should be finished with three coats. Wait for the polyurethane to cure completely before use.

References

• This Old House: Refinishing School
• Furniture Knowledge: How to Refinish Furniture