Ronseal Interior Varnish White Ash Matt 750ml

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If you’re dead set against sanding and are willing to forego the look of stained wood, painting could be an alternative. I had a friend who was a woodworking enthusiast, and he suggested using a water-based stain to change its look. At the end of the day, it’s possible to stain over varnish without sanding, but the results can be unpredictable and typically fall short of a professional-looking finish.

Once, in my eagerness to breathe new life into an old varnished bookshelf, I attempted to skip the sanding and apply stain directly to the varnished surface. Let’s set the scene: You’re rummaging through your attic, and you stumble across an old lacquered piece of furniture.Acrylic Paint. You can apply varnish over acrylic paint. But, most painters pre-mix varnish and acrylic and apply the mixture. With the right prep work (cleaning and lightly scuffing the surface), this approach can lead to a durable, attractive finish.

When the varnished surface is old, worn, or simply not to your taste anymore, a gel stain can change the color and appearance dramatically.When you’re staining the wood, pigments will penetrate through the porous structure and create dark deep colors along the wood grain. Stain isn’t like paint. It doesn’t sit on top of the wood. Instead, it needs to penetrate the wood fibers to bring out the grain and create that warm, rich color we all love.

I’ve often found that this simple step makes a world of difference in the end result. Let the wood dry thoroughly after cleaning. 2. Wet Sanding the WoodThe nature of a wood stain is to allow some of the grain and colour of the timber to show through. So from a white wash to a solid opaque finish if you are painting over other colours or dark timber it may take a few coats to get the effect you are looking for. This will protect the stain and give your wood a finished look. I went with a satin polyurethane for a touch of sheen without being too glossy. Work with the gain rather than across it, and ensure that you do not overload your brush or cloth as this might cause drips. You want to try and get as even a spread as possible so that you get an even colour across the surface; drips will ruin this if you do not catch them in time. But even within the realm of gel stains, you have options. From deep, rich mahogany to light, breezy pine, the color possibilities are nearly endless. You must sand a sealed paint finish before applying varnish. If the paint is already sealed, you must sand off or remove the existing sealer before applying varnish or it won’t adhere over it.

The stain isn’t truly able to bond with the wood, and is essentially just sitting on top of the varnish.While sanding was effective, another approach could have been to use a chemical stripper to remove the polyurethane completely. You don’t need to sand a paint finish before sealing it with varnish sealer. Varnish is a topical finish and will adhere over paint finishes without penetrating them. Take 320 grit sandpaper and sand the whole surface. While you’re doing this make sure to spray water for the wet sanding process. So, can you stain over polyurethane? The answer is yes, but it’s not as straightforward as just applying the stain. Emulsion Paint. You can apply varnish over emulsion paint, but it’s better to use water-based varnish. Emulsion paint is water-based and is more compatible with water-based sealers.