3 Steps to Preserve Your Ashley Furniture with Wood Stain
We all know the possible downside to elderly pieces of furniture – they tend to deteriorate when not taken care of properly – especially when they’re made of wood. They can begin to splinter and chip away, leaving broken and unsafe pieces of décor. You might as well put some caution tape around your furniture, so no one uses them.
On the other hand, with a little T.L.C., wooden furniture has the ability to outlive us all! You’ll find museums chock full of wooden antique furniture from dining sets to royal bed frames looking almost as good as the day they were made. If you’re looking for something that won’t fall apart on you, take a look at our Ashley Furniture products. You’ll find that they’re designed and built with quality wood made for aging gracefully – so you never need to worry about taking extra care of your wooden furniture.
If you want your wood furniture to stay so nice that it too could be a part of a historic museum one day, the best thing to do is use wood stain to preserve it. With this list you’ll be able to add staining wood to your list of skill sets and keep your Ashley Furniture looking like new for years to come.
Tools:
• Fine-grit sandpaper
• Rag
• Foam brush
• Wood stain
• Protective finish
• Paint brush
Step 1:
Smooth it out
Before actually getting down to staining business, you’ll need to prep the wood first. Begin by using a #180-grit square of sandpaper, which will remove little imperfections, and leave you with a smooth canvas. If you skip this step, you’ll most likely end up with a clumpy stain job in the end – which would make it a pretty pointless project. And it’s not enough to just sand your wood table, chair, etc. - you need to sand it in the correct direction too. Take your fine-grit sandpaper and sand it in the direction of the grain, wiping away the dust as you go. Take the time to sand your wooden piece of furniture in the correct manner to make the next steps trouble-free.
Step 2:
Stain it, stain it good
Once you’ve made sure there’s no dust particles covering your freshly sanded wood furniture, you can get to the fun part – the staining! Take your wood stain, dip in your rag, and just go to town. Your goal, beside covering the structure, is to work the stain into the pores of the wood. Just like you did with sanding, be sure to stain in the direction of the grain. This will help the stain seep in more efficiently. If you happen to be staining an object that has numerous hard to reach crevices, use a foam brush to assist with this tedious process. You’ll finish faster and be less frustrated.
If you are concerned with applying the stain on too dark or light, the outcome shade has everything to do with the amount of time you leave it on. Want your wood furniture to be darker? Leave the stain on longer for a richer color. Want your wood furniture to be lighter? Wipe off the stain as soon as you get the desired color you’ve been looking for.
Step 3:
And for the big finish…
If you plan on actually using your stained furniture, and not leaving it collecting dust in the corner, taking measures to protect its exterior is essential. Choose a protective finish from the store, such as the Miniwax Polycrylic protective finish, to add a clear layer to your stained Ashley Furniture piece. Open the can, stir it, and begin painting on a thin layer of the clear liquid with a paint brush as soon as the stain has completely dried.
Let the waxy shield dry over your glossy looking furniture, and voila! You’ve successfully stained and finished your wood furniture. Need more tips? Come by our store and talk to our expert sales associates! We would love to give you all the insider info.