Expert: Eileen Cronk - 10/12/2007

Question
Hi Eileen-
I have a maple dining table and chairs, the table legs and trim, and the chair backs & legs are stained dark green.  The green stain appears to be well penetrated into the wood and somewhat oily. The stain is very dark but the grain does show through slightly.  We want to change the green to a dark brown.  It does not have to be a stain (i.e. the grain does not have to be visible).  We just want to know how to prep the surface and what type of primer and topcoat would be recommended.  We want to rent a sprayer to apply the finish because we think that would work best because of all the curvy surfaces in the design.  How do you recommend we proceed?
Thanks
Todd

Answer
Hi Todd
Nice to hear from you.
Yes I have seen furniture done this way.
Certainly easy enough to change this and not a lot of prep work either.
Because of all the curvy surfaces you mention, sanding sounds difficult.
I would give all surfaces to be painted a good scrub with a TSP solution (found at all hardware stores).
For the smooth areas, I would use a medium steel wool pad dipped in the solution as a scrubber.
For areas harder to get in, a good stiff brush.
Thats all the prep needed.
Tsp deglazes the wood so paint will stick.
Todd, I like the water based products for this application.
For years we always heard that oil based paint stood the test of time better than water based, but its no longer true and has not been for a long time.
And most especially if you plan on spraying, use water based.
Just get good quality paint and primer from a paint store.
Most chains sell their own brands..some good some not so good.
Thats whay I go directly to a store that sells nothing but paint.
And ask if the products are suitable for spraying. Most are though.
So the TSP scrub, good water based primer and good paint and your ready to.
Good Luck and great question.
Regards
Eileen