Expert: Jamie Yocono - 3/27/2008

Question
Hi Jamie,

I have an oak bed frame that I got from my Aunt a few years ago that really needs some touching up. I don't know what has been put on there, so I don't know if I need to sand, strip or what. I would like to stain it a darker color, but I need to know if this is bad for the wood? What do I do to make this bed frame look better?

Thank you so much.

Answer
Hi Ashleigh,

I'll try to explain a little bit about wood finishes, and then answer your question. I think it will make more sense that way.

There are two types of finishes - surface finishes, like varnish or shellac, that sit on top of the wood and protect it.  Then there are penetrating finishes, like oils, that soak into the wood. Stain sort of fits into the penetrating finish category. But... stain is not a finish, it just colors the wood.  

So, in order to stain something, the wood has to be stripped completely clean of it's surface finish. The reason I'm telling you this is that if you want to stain your bed to make it darker, you will have to strip it in order for it to absorb the stain.  Staining is not bad for the wood at all, it just colors it.

After you stain the wood to make it darker, you will still need to apply some sort of protection on it, like varnish. The bottom line is this- if you want to stain something darker, it's a lot of work.

If you can live with the bed being the existing color, you could simply recondition it. There is a good product made by Formby's called Formby'sŪ Conditioning Furniture Refinisher.  It's sort of an all-in-one product, as it dissolves the old finish, and reconditions the wood all at the same time. If you cut and paste this link in your browser, you can see what they have to say about it on their website:   http://www.formbys.com/products/refinisher.cfm

Now normally, this won't give you the same result as what a deeper stripping and refinishing job would do. But if the grime buildup isn't too bad, this product will work just fine for your bed. The good news is- you can probably find this at your local Lowes or Home Depot. In fact, I was just at Lowes today and saw this product, as I was looking for some paste wax and they were right next to each other!

The only alternative to this product could be completely stripping, staining and refinishing your bed. It really depends on you- how much work do you want to put into it?  I think I would try the Formsby product first and see how it works before you go to trouble of stripping and refinishing, which is a much bigger job.

If it were my bed, I think I would sand out any of the badly damaged areas, like dings and scratches, and then try to lightly stain them so they match the rest of the bed. Then I would use the Formby's product to clean and rejuvenate the bed. Unless there is a completely important reason to make the bed darker, I wouldn't do it unless you have the 20 hours or so it's going to take.

Did I mention it's a big job?  :)

OK, good luck, I hope this helps. Please feel free to write back if you have any further questions after reading this.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com