16
votes
Accepted
Should I use a wood stain before varnishing my indoor floor?
Stain is just color. While it does provide some degree of sealing, whether you use it or not under varnish is entirely discretionary.
The primary difference between the two options is that proper ...
- 144k
9
votes
Should I use a wood stain before varnishing my indoor floor?
If you stain and then varnish, you can control each step on its own. You can get the stain looking nice and even on the floor, and then when the clear varnish goes on top, the color will not be ...
- 28.2k
6
votes
Accepted
Which varnish to choose for a first time job (desk)?
Since you'll be finishing the pieces in the building, lacquer is out. It stinks to high Heaven and unless you use a pre-catalized lacquer, it is prone to water stains such as condensation from a cold ...
- 23.2k
6
votes
Durable top coat for MDF worktop / workbench
Honestly, the best option for a bench that expects hard use is a sheet of 1/8" "tempered hardboard" - I don't know if that's one of those places where we are separated by a common ...
- 223k
6
votes
Can I mix varnishes from the same product line?
From the same manufacturer and the same type it will work. I've done this many times. Be prepared to do a lot of mixing and testing on sample pieces of wood and waiting for them to dry completely ...
- 83.5k
5
votes
Accepted
If apiece of wood furniture is varnished, can i just paint right over it?
The sheen of the varnish needs to come off first. That can be done best in my opinion with sand paper, 175-grit would be good.
- 7,015
4
votes
Should I use a wood stain before varnishing my indoor floor?
Wet the wood first - to bring up the irregular grain
Sand (lightly) away any of that grain that might have been expanded from
the wetting and now "sticking up" make it smooth
tac clean the surface ...
- 41
3
votes
Should I use a wood stain before varnishing my indoor floor?
Consider your skill level / experience and expectations of how perfectionist you are.
Stain will tend to bring out any imperfections in the sanding of the floor. When you sand it creates a pattern of ...
- 5,625
3
votes
Should I use a wood stain before varnishing my indoor floor?
I like to stain first, even though I've only used "natural" color stain which doesn't really contain any stain, only oils. Aside from getting the look right before you start sealing it, what I really ...
3
votes
Over sanded between coats of varnish
Wow that is still too coarse unless you had bubbles. I actually use steel wool or 400+ grit. With 220 and even light pressure you cut through the layer, the second you use anything to scuff the ...
- 103k
3
votes
Accepted
How to make my cheap but well sanded wood look glossy
You are looking at the correct products but to get a high gloss several coats will be needed with a very light sanding or steel wool buff and clean in between coats. In high end finishes I put at ...
- 103k
3
votes
Accepted
Durable top coat for MDF worktop / workbench
You'll get similar life from polyurethane and oil paint. It might be wise to use a satin or matte sheen to reduce the appearance of wear, which is the real issue. You can always recoat if actual wear-...
- 144k
3
votes
Accepted
What is better for plywood - varnish or paint
If you were to paint the surface it would cover and look more uniform than if you were to try and re-stain. Re-staining is more labor intensive in that unless you know the stain color it is hard to ...
- 11.1k
3
votes
What is VMD spray paint A002L3
The "outer" number/text is the paint code.
The "inner" number/text is a batch, date, or other quality control code. This is used on all kinds of consumer products. These types of ...
- 223k
2
votes
Accepted
applying varnish to wood in the sun
Urethane doesn't "cure". It dries as the solvent (which may or may not be water) evaporates. It isn't like masonry where time and moisture are critical.
There's no problem applying urethane in the ...
- 144k
2
votes
Accepted
Can chipboard shelves be varnished?
Compiling information from Ken, RedGrittyBrick, isherwood and my own experience to form proper answer:
It's possible to varnish chipboard, but a suitable varnish must be used. Suitability will depend ...
- 241
2
votes
Can chipboard shelves be varnished?
I've used common water-based polyurethane on particle board and fiberboard with no ill effects. If you allow it to dry in a timely manner, you'll see virtually no swelling. If you want to be extra ...
- 144k
2
votes
Can chipboard shelves be varnished?
By Googling for "chipboard sealant" I found a UK vendor of "work top edge sealer" that seems to be designed for that sort of job.
Seals & Waterproofs Sawn Or Drilled Edges, Joints, Sink Cut ...
- 24.5k
2
votes
Fixing chipped table corner
That's more than just "varnish". It is some sort of thin material, most likely plastic laminate or similar. You can't just "patch it" beyond the tiniest of holes or cracks - and that damage is far ...
2
votes
Is it okay to not varnish wooden furniture before use?
Not finishing wood is perfectly fine.
It will be more prone to collecting dirt and stains than finished wood, but if you don't mind that, it's still fine.
If your budget allows, you can also apply ...
- 223k
2
votes
Does varnishing floors create a fire hazard?
Depends a lot on the specifics of the finish, but the most common finish, water-based polyurethane, does not create a fire hazard. Neither do other finishes, but some of them are mixed with solvents ...
- 173
2
votes
Accepted
Varnishing at low temperatures
I'm not sure what you're asking, exactly, but here are some suggestions based on my experience varnishing in a similar climate. The colder temps don't seem to have much effect on the quality of the ...
- 144k
2
votes
Can i add acrylic clear coat over an epoxy paint for outdoor project
Why do you want a clear coat? Do you want the hyper gloss and aesthetic depth that clearcoats give? Or do you just want a paint job that will last longer?
Certainly the UV of the sun will give any ...
2
votes
Accepted
Varnish over old lead varnish/stain on stairs?
If the surface is in aesthetic shape, just apply three coats of polyurethane to abate the lead. If there are some areas that require sanding beforehand, you'll need to either create a containment seal ...
- 46
2
votes
Stripping varnish from the wall mounted portion of my new cabinets
The cabinets do not need to be striped to be painted.
Remove the moldings at the top of the cabinets. clean and sand them to be painted separately. Do the same with the doors and drawer fronts.
Just ...
- 37.3k
2
votes
Accepted
Can I mix varnishes from the same product line?
I emailed Ronseal as I couldn't find a source in the answer by JACK who was 100% correct. This is the answer I got:
Ronseal Diamond Hard Floor Varnish colours can be mixed, providing you
are mixing ...
- 325
1
vote
Should I use a wood stain before varnishing my indoor floor?
Unless for some reason you don't like the natural color of your flooring I suggest just putting down a few coats of clear varnish. Clear varnish brings out the natural color of the wood, and in my ...
1
vote
Fixing chipped table corner
Matching the color and finish can be difficult, and the repair may well be visible under close scrutiny no matter what you do. Rather than trying to match the repair to the original finish, you could ...
- 1,117
1
vote
Can I sand and re-varnish a flawed area on my staircase?
Of course you can do it, and you probably can even get the polyurethane to look pretty good. The trick might be how closely you can get the stain to match. If it's a very light stain or an extremely ...
- 1,363
1
vote
How to effectively and efficiently remove varnish from wood
I've had great results using Citristrip, (see below). I've used it indoors many times and it leaves no fumes. I've used it to strip multiple layers of paint and varnish from furniture.
There are many ...
- 83.5k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible