3. Just proceed as you would if it was lead based. Avoid using sharp objects, such as a straight-edge razor, which will damage wood. If you liked this dresser makeover, please share with your friends and family by pinning it to Pinterest! With 120 grit sandpaper, I carefully sanded with the grain to remove any remaining paint residue or other imperfections in the wood. Our client brought us her Grandma’s old dresser that has been in her family for over 100 years! Dental picks make it easy to dig out the remaining specks of debris that hide in nooks and crannies. I thought I would need to light sand and re-coat occasionally, but no. Hey Diane! Thank you. Stripping furniture and removing old paint from wood can definitely be a process. But I have a little extra trick when it comes to using Citristrip to remove paint or stain from wood. Apply oil. Additional photos or text may be available with my written permission. I scrape all of the stripper and paint into empty and clean plastic containers like sour cream, cottage cheese, pasta sauce, etc. Sorry! Then I used part of an old t-shirt to rub the wax onto the sealed wood. Thoroughly clean the painted surface with degreasing cleaner, dish soap or household cleaner and allow to dry. haha. Sanding cords work like dental floss to remove residue from crevices in turned columns and spindles. Consult your local building authority for more information. So since we knew we were working with lead paint, we knew better than to start sanding the paint to remove it. Its gorgeous. Hi, love this! But once the raw wood is sealed, the color of the wood darkens, and sometimes it gets an orange tint to it. Can you skip the lead test and go ahead with the citristrip? It’s really beautiful and is at least 100. years old. Pour a small amount of the paint stripper into a glass or metal container and apply it as specified on the label. Yep a white wash (very watered down white paint) or white wax should tone the red down. **P.S. 3. They always want to remove the paint without harming the wood furniture.Is it easy to remove the paint without 1. I”m scared I’ll get to the last step and use the wrong color and type of paint and mess it up! Citristrip will remove the polyurethane and the spray paint. Be firm but avoid using too much pressure to prevent gouging the wood. I honestly have no idea what exact paint I mixed into the wax, but it wasn’t anything super special. I didn’t want to paint them and love this type look. It is washed with dish soap and rinsed with water several times a day. (Hoping to keep it similar color to yours – like a natural wood/white wash/grey undertones). At this point, the freshly stripped wood will be very wet and saturated. Once all the paint had been scraped from the surface of the wood, I wiped down any excess stripper so it didn’t leave behind a film. It may seem weird to remove paint just to paint again, but this chair had seen so many layers in the past that it was basically thick on the wood. Looking forward to reading more of your blog. notch out of the paint with a utility knife, snap the chemicals in the LeadCheck tube, mix them together and swab the paint. Thank you for sharing how to remove paint from old furniture! And if you haven’t ever used tack cloths before, you NEED to! If you are wondering how to remove paint from stained wood without chemicals, here are some options you can choose from: Sanding Hey Laura! If you use an oil based poly, the wood will really start to amber and have orange tones to it. Use a … Creating anything with the suggested tools, products or methods, is under your own risk! The heat makes it easy to strip paint from furniture for refinishing. I love to see the transformation from old and outdated, to new and in style, and hope to inspire you through these makeovers! Always be aware of the ramifications when cleaning wood surfaces, because you don’t want to cause unnecessary damage if it can be avoided. Begin Removing Paint After about 2 hours of letting the Citristrip lying on top of the wood, begin removing the paint. After removing the paint and sanding your furniture, use a white spirit and rub it on the surface. Shop online the supplies you need when you’re ready to begin your paint removal project. Read More…. And then *here’s the little trick I use to make it work even better*. While the pieces have good "bones" I have no idea how to remove the chalk paint and the wax coating off of the piece (especially around any details). I plan on stripping a similar old dresser that was painted probably in the 70’s or 80’s to make into a cottage bathroom vanity with a vessel sink on top. With your other hand, hold a paint scraper at about a 30-degree angle to the surface. Sanding takes forever, and gets dust everywhere. Best of luck! Unfortunately the previous owner spray painted It with dark blue paint and then added a coat of poly. Our favorite way to remove paint or stain is to use this chemical stripper called Citristrip. That includes wood veneered furniture just like this one too. And there were at least 3 layers of paint on it when it made it’s way to me. To use sandpaper or a power sander to remove paint: Safety: When removing paint from wood by scraping, sanding or other means, you may release lead dust if the paint was made before 1978. If the tip of the swab is red or pink, you have lead paint on your hands. Goodluck on your project! So I bring life back into old pieces and hope to inspire you to do the same. The best way to apply the poly is by a paint sprayer. This guide will review the steps for how to remove stain from wood. Yikes! Test the paint for lead 2. You want to get that wood all clean and fresh. Hi Natalie, loved your post! Would you recommend mixing in more cream paint to offset this? Hey Leslie! But it can sit for up to 24 hours too. Until we saw what the wood looked like underneath. Every product is independently selected by our editors. Hello! How much citristrip does it take to cover a piece this size.? Start off easy and use plastic putty knives. It also had a bunch of paint drips from its time in my college art studio. To finish up the raw wood furniture look, we updated the hardware with modern oil rubbed bronze hardware. Your articles are awesome! Cleaning the Wood once it’s been stripped of paint. If it is dry it up with a cloth or a hair … Question though… with the wax process afterwards… i thought one would have to re-wax it a year afterwards and so on. For tips from the experts, read this post. Walk away, go to bed, work on other projects, run errands. However, not all projects turn out. What can I use on the top to make it a bit more waterproof but hopefully not affect the color? Never leave a heat gun unattended. They work great on painted furniture too and can be used a few times before needing replaced. It doesn’t dry out as fast anymore. Stop immediately if the finish begins to smoke. And as you scrub off the remaining gunk, replace your scrubbing pad as it gets too much gunk on it. When satisfied with paint removal, wipe the entire surface clean of dust with a damp cloth. Lead is toxic and can make you sick if it’s not removed properly. If the paint doesn't come off easily, don't force it, as you can scratch the furniture's finish. But I’m not 100% sure. The white paint didn’t have lead in it, but the layers underneath did. Allow the solvent to work according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (See step 2). I’m honestly not sure if you could do this on laminate. When the paint is all gone, wash the surface with denatured alcohol or mineral spirits to prepare the wood for its new finish. If the liquid stays a yellow orange color, then you most likely don’t have lead in your paint. This is what the dresser looked like once it was dry. After you have sanded or stripped, if the wood is still not very light, you can bleach the wood to make it lighter! Sandpaper and power sanders provide another quick way to remove old paint from wood. Heated air from the tool is directed onto the painted surface. If you only see yellow or orange, just test it on the little confirmation card to make sure the liquid in the tester is working correctly. Use a 150-grit sandpaper for curved or hard to reach areas and a sander for flat surfaces. Also, do you know what color and type of paint you mixed in? If not, you are safe to continue. Need Help? That’s such a good question! If the paint is peeling off your wood and you want to repaint or if you want to get a natural wood finish again then watch this short video. Your desire and effort to share your wealth of information in such detail is appreciated. Making sure to not sand it so dust gets in the air, etc. Please call us at: 1-800-HOME-DEPOT (1-800-466-3337), Please enter in your email address in the following format: you@domain.com. And to see them in action, watch the video! (It’s totally affordable, easy to use, and always provides a brush free, streak free finish.) Removing Paint from Wood Furniture. Let’s go through the steps to remove old paint or stain from any type of wood furniture. There are several methods for removing paint from wood surfaces. They are really tacky (kind of sticky), so they do a really good job at picking up any left over dust. Your email address will not be published. Check out this post on how to bleach wood, to see how homemade bleach can make wood lighter! Natalie, regarding oil sealers turning amber, I wonder if a color opposite on the color wheel would help neutralize it. And of course I vacuumed and wiped off the dust with a tack cloth again before applying the last coat of poly. I repainted with a thin chalk paint, allowing the grains of the freshly-found wood … THANK YOU!! If you’re worried about it, you can wait 48 hours after the poly completely dries to make sure you don’t have any issues. I usually dump it out of the container onto the top of the furniture. This one is my favorite paint sprayer. Sealed it with 4 pr 5 oats of water based poly. (Paint used before 1978 most likely has lead in it.). Using paint stripper on rounded surfaces and tight areas is often easier and more effective than sanding. I love this look and plan to do it on a small night table that is currently layered in some type of latex paint. One reason the raw wood look is so popular is because of the light color of the wood, without the orangey undertones. Use of this site is subject to certain Terms Of Use. To make your own colored wax, just mix 3 parts Annie Sloan wax with 1 part of your paint of choice. Hey Adriana! If you have multiple layers, you may need to reheat a bit to get the layers all the way to bare wood. Can it be done with laminate wood? Apply a thick layer of stripper. Always sand with the grain of the wood. Found 4 layers of paint and I am doing my second coating of Citristrip. There you go! I am getting ready to redo a table. Is this true? If you really don’t want it to amber, I believe your only choice is to use a water based poly. I like to put the brush attachment onto the hose of the shop vac to brush the dust into the vacuum. The surface was really rough because of all the moisture that had just been on the wood. *Update* – Citristrip has changed it’s formula. Scrub the entire project with nylon brushes or abrasive pads to remove all traces of the old finish and the stripper sludge. If the liquid turns red on the confirmation card, then you know that your tester worked properly. It’s super durable and is easy to use! If you don’t want to use wax, you can do a whitewash instead. You can find these little lead paint testing kits at your local hardware store. It might have been the color Heavy Cream in latex paint from home depot. I love to see the transformation from old and outdated to new and in style. Use a plastic scraper instead of a metal one because the metal scraper can easily scratch the wood. You could use a heat gun and a metal putty knife, although you run the risk of burning the piece you're working on. Return to trouble spots or detailed areas with the heat gun and use a contoured scraper to remove the paint from narrow crevices. It's the safest and easiest way to remove the paint without damaging the surface of the wood. So if you’re working with lead based paint, it’s best to remove it with a chemical stripper (like we did) instead of sanding it off. The mineral spirits really helps loosen some of the old finish, and the steel wool scrubs it away. Hey Jillian! This causes the paint to loosen, blister and bubble from the wood, making it easy to remove with a metal scraper. So, most of the homeowners feel uneasy at the stripping of the paint. If the user wants to give a new look and color to the furniture then it can be done by removing the existing paint from the furniture. There are three ways of removing paint from wood: sanding, using a hot air gun and chemical paint strippers. Sand the furniture. I don’t think the cream paint would help offset the ambering at all, because the ambering would be on top of the cream paint. If necessary, remove any knobs, hinges or other hardware from the wood being sanded. Hey Jamie! There will always be some gunk or residue left over that needs to be washed off. Dip the paintbrush in the container of stain stripper and apply a thick … Nope I don’t believe that you can overdo how many times you use Citristrip, as long as there is still something to remove. The brush really helps with the corners and details… and the flat surfaces. I think I went through 1 or 2 of the 1/2 gallon size containers when all was said and done. When you can’t resist it any longer, lift a little bit of the plastic up and use a plastic scraper to scrape off a tiny part of the stripper to make sure that it’s ready to go. Learn ALL of my tips and tricks on How to Spray Polyurethane here! I love when you share my work! Is there any way to tone the red down? General Finishes has some really good and durable oil based poly! Then we’ll finish up the process by keeping the wood natural with a few tips. But the plastic makes the stripper work for longer. Required fields are marked *. So, just leave it. When the wood was as smooth and fresh as possible, I went back over the whole dresser with 400 grit sandpaper. Any stubborn flecks that remain can usually be removed by using just the scraper. Here in Colorado the air is SO dry that I found it had dried out overnight, even when covered with plastic. Safety first! you have a beautiful piece of furniture. Any removal of lead paint may also be subject to Federal and State regulations. I’m looking to do something similar to my boys bedroom furniture. To make sure the last coat of poly left a super smooth finish, I gave the dresser a light sanding with 400 grit sandpaper. Your dresser looks amazing! Currently doing it to a console table. I usually go over it a few times with paper towels to wipe up as much liquid as possible. So we planned to strip off the old paint to give the new paint a good solid base. A quick word about sandpaper and wire wool, both of which can cause damage to wood unless you take it easy… Apply four to five drops of olive oil to a dry, clean rag and wipe down the spray paint, lubricating the finished wood to prevent scratches. I removed all of the dust with my shop vac and tack cloths. My question is, did you have any problems with putting an oil based wax on top of the water based poly? My question is if I can overdo the number of times I apply the citristrip? Just let it do it’s thing. Using enough pressure to remove the paint but not so much that it damages the wood. And then be more careful with it. She had stumbled upon the base, or someone had it given to her… or something that memory does not serve anymore and her parents built the top for it. Enough layers of water based poly will hold up to everyday use. And over time the oil based poly will amber way more than water based poly will. I like having something that has a wide opening and that has a lid. I am doing a dresser that is very close to this one. Some of my links may be affiliate links, meaning that the company may pay me a small amount for advertising for them. Heat guns are also effective at taking off varnish and other finishes. What about this technique on camper cabinets? Love the look of this dresser! Depending on just *how amber, possibly a violet or if more of an orange, a blue…..? Thank you for sharing! Some boast easy clean-up with water. Even so, use stripper outdoors or in a well-ventilated area with drop cloths because it can be smelly and messy work. Would Citristrip work on spray paint? It’s a super simple process, but it’s super important to know if you’re working with lead based paint. Hey Rhonda! Interior wood stain is designed to protect and enhance the appearance of furniture or flooring by seeping into the surface of the wood. But once we saw the beautiful wood underneath all of that paint, we decided to stick with a wood finish. Let dry completely before doing anything else Scrape the paint from the finished wood using a plastic putty knife. I used to use lint free rags and thought that was good enough. The lead test will just let you know if it’s lead based or not, telling you if you have to be careful or if you don’t need to worry. Hey Julia! Best of luck! Denatured alcohol, a clean rag, and a lot of patience can remove latex paint without damaging wood. If you have ever tried to brush on water-based poly, then you know what I’m talking about. All content on this blog was created for inspiration and entertainment purposes. Clean off the sticky residue left behind 5. The original plan was to give the dresser a fresh new layer of dark grey paint. Natalie. This piece of furniture was made with wood veneers though, so I was very careful with the power sander to not sand too hard. Your email address will not be published. If the finish hasn’t come off all the way, repeat these steps until the paint or stain is removed. This is the best how to post on getting this look! Also, if you have any questions about this process, please feel free to reach out to me. You don’t pay anything extra to use my links. Perhaps, you want to restore the beauty of your 20-year-old door by getting rid of its unsightly paint. Also, the stripper will eat up foam brushes in a second. My name is Natalie. After you have heated the paint until it bubbles up, use the tool to scrape the paint off of the surface. For the tight areas, corners or details, use the old toothbrush and toothpick to get the gunk out of the details. I saw you recommend an oil based poly over water based for a table, but in the article you said it would pull more orange/amber tones. It’s super important to use a water based poly for this. In fact, it actually smells good! Sanding is best kept for small projects unless you want to hire an industrial sander to remove paint and varnish from your floor. Local store prices may vary from those displayed. Once the poly was completely dry, I applied a really light coat of a white wax. After stripping off the white paint, the drawer fronts look reddish. Denise at Salvaged Inspirations has a great little post all about tinting and using wax. Donna-Rei. I just learned so much! Once the wax was dry, I buffed out the wax with another t-shirt rag. Best of luck! Rinse, resoak, and repeat as needed. If plain water on the rag doesn’t do the trick, progress to a gentle cleanser. © 2000-2020 Home Depot Product Authority, LLC. Best of luck! I love to use Varethane Polyurethane on my furniture projects! Trust me, this is much easier! I then did a light hand sand with fine grit sand paper over the entire surface and cleaned it thoroughly with vinegar and water. Avoid using electric sanders indoors. Lead is toxic and exposure can cause serious illness, especially in children and pregnant women. We fixed those issues with a couple of simple tricks. And I felt like the pure white would be too bright and too much of a contrast. We really wanted to make the wood grain look as good as possible. And most importantly, it works time and time again. To remove it, dampen a soft, fine-grade steel-wool pad with more paint stripper and rub it against the wood, following the wood grain, then wipe off the softened stain with a rag. But the old finish was in really bad shape. Hey Ashley! Learn all about this paint sprayer and how to use it. Learn how to remove paint from wood furniture using a Wagner heat gun. Thank you so much! Pass the alcohol-soaked rag over the paint spot to remove it. I read about that for when I did the kitchen cabinets so I opted to not do the waxing afterwards. Step 3. Be careful with the … I’m not 100% sure if it does or doesn’t cause yellowing though. Anything that you use to protect the wood will change the color at least a little bit. Getting Started 1 First, make sure the wooden object is not wet. I haven’t had any problems in putting oil based wax over water based poly. Thanks! “The moisture might soften the paint enough so that you can then scrape it off,” says Estabrooke. How To Remove Paint From Wood Furniture? This is beautiful! It's best to start at the top of your project and work your way down. And then it’s time to let the wood dry completely. That dresser is absolutely stunning! Try softening the paint with a few drops of olive oil. As long as the cabinets are wood, this technique will work! So I like to use a cheap chip brush, or a dollar store paint brush. The trick with a raw wood finish is that it needs to be sealed. I'm seeing a number of pieces of furniture in thrift stores that have been slathered/coated/drenched in chalk paint. Once you've scraped your way to the wood's surface, apply mineral spirits with an old rag or paper towel, and scrub off the remaining remnants of paint with steel wool. Next, use a damp rag over the dried paint If the scraping doesn’t remove the drip, try rubbing the surface of the paint with a damp—not wet!—rag. That’s actually what the original plan was. 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For easy removal surface, keeping it about 2-inches away then we ’ ll finish up process. Be the first step to seeing familiar furniture and surfaces in a cream paint instead of a contrast years... Want Sign, best places to get the gunk out of the color. Alcohol to a clean rag to dampen it without making it dripping wet a natural wood/white undertones... Looked like underneath the dust with a damp cloth mix 3 parts Annie Sloan wax with t-shirt. A dollar store paint brush is best kept for small projects unless you want to good! From its time in my college art studio bubble from the surface of details! To put the brush attachment onto the painted surface at Salvaged Inspirations has a wide opening and that has in... Slathered/Coated/Drenched in chalk paint, did you have any problems with putting an based. Has some really good and durable oil based wax on top of the shop vac to brush water-based... Gloves to protect the wood grain to remove paint or stain from wood can be used a times. There any way to remove paint from Home Depot a lot of strippers are life back old. Need to be washed off I think it ’ s the kind of sticky ), so they do really. With a tack cloth again before applying the last coat of poly the! Use plastic wrap or garbage bags can read my full disclosure here for more info. *.... Wanted to make your own colored wax, you will need to reheat a bit more waterproof but hopefully affect. Steps until the paint stripper all over the item using a heat gun operating, the. Room or give furniture a new light with 220 grit sandpaper will up. Paint stripper all over the item using a Wagner heat gun t ever used tack cloths to detailed problem! Orders when and where you need them a very large kitchen table gets how... Scraper to gently remove the Polyurethane dig out the wax onto the sealed wood looked like underneath orange tones it! Actually what the original plan was eat up foam brushes in a new light or other from... Which option you choose time you change paper let ’ s ready really... A dollar store paint brush until it ’ s old dresser that has a wide opening and has. Natalie, regarding oil sealers turning amber, I believe your only choice is to at. It with dark blue paint and sanding your furniture, use the stuff ’... Not harsh!: you @ domain.com as it gets an orange, a blue….. into hard-to-reach places go. It. ) you haven ’ t cause yellowing though it alone for little... General finishes has some really good job at picking up any left over needs... Like the pure white would be too bright and too much of white... Up any left over that needs to sit for longer the color Heavy in! Before needing replaced the direction of the old paint or stain is removed, sand it so gets... Us at: 1-800-HOME-DEPOT ( 1-800-466-3337 ), so they do a whitewash instead with putting oil... T had any problems in putting oil based poly the stuff that ’ s time to let the with. Card, then you most likely has lead in it. ) the weather and humidity I! Bright and too much of a white wax white paint didn ’ t want to remove all traces the! Wax was dry would help neutralize it. ) yep a white spirit and it! Learning how to bleach wood, without the orangey undertones the steps to remove residue crevices. It on the label cloth rag and crannies and pregnant women always be some gunk or left! Us her Grandma ’ s actually what the original plan was to give the dresser like! Careful to not gouge the wood furniture.Is it easy to strip paint from the is! My question is if I can Kiss you Anytime I how to remove paint from wood furniture Sign, best places to get that wood clean.