Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [varnishing]

66 questions
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6 answers

Should I use a wood stain before varnishing my indoor floor?

I had been talking to a carpenter friend and for whatever reason, I had come away thinking the best way to varnish the floor was to first stain it and then paint clear varnish over it. The instructional videos I have come across just varnish…
SeanJ
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4 answers

How can I protect my (engineered) hardwood floor from scratching?

I have engineered hardwood that scratches easily (be it from furniture being slid on it, a kid playing with hard toys on it, or simply from regular wear and tear). We currently mitigate the scratching by coloring the wood with some Old English.…
n00b
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Can I use a paint pad to apply floor varnish?

I went looking in the shop for a lambswool pad to apply floor lacquer, but they didn't have one, so I bought an Anza paint pad. Can I use this to coat a floor? Should I try to find a proper lambswool applicatyor, or just stick to brushes? I'm using…
nevan king
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What should I build a bench out of?

I want to build a bench with a 450mm overhang from the legs (long story why I need the overhang, and I already have the legs which are heavy duty steel monsters). The bench will not hold anything heavy, but I want it to be very sturdy and last a…
Abhi Beckert
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1 answer

How can I repair damaged wood lacquer?

I've ruined a wooden, varnished table by putting a hot mug of tea down on it. In case that’s relevant, the cup was also slightly wet (only water). Now at the place where the mug stood is a milky-whitish blemish in the lacquer. On the first try it…
Konrad Rudolph
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How should I repair these very damaged floor boards?

I've recently moved in to an apartment where the floor boards are damaged in some areas, presumably because there has been a lot of traffic in these spots. And it has been like this for years it seems, since the damage goes so deep. I'm attaching a…
jimmy
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What natural-wood finish should I use to protect a door from pet scratches?

I'm installing a new solid-core wood door in one of my bedrooms. I want the door to have a natural wood look. However, I have a dog who will scratch at the door to open it looking for me / squeaky toys / a quiet place to chew said squeaky toys. …
Niall C.
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Can I varnish natural wood trim before installation?

When I'm installing painted trim -- baseboards, window or door trim, etc. -- I usually prime and paint it before installation. That way I only have to fill the nail holes, sand smooth and paint one coat after installation. If I want my trim to have…
Niall C.
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Can you put a matte polyurethane over a semi-gloss polyurethane to make it a matte finish?

I have a piece of furniture that my mom has painted and she put on a semi-gloss polyurethane finish. It is way too shiny for the type of painting. Can we put a matte polyurethane finish over the semi-gloss one to make it more of a matte or satin…
ACross
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What can we do about previously filled holes so I can varnish wood?

We have bought a house that has nice wooden doors, but holes in them have been filled ready for painting. We would prefer to varnish the wood - what can we do about the white filling in the holes?
user9841
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Can chipboard shelves be varnished?

Note: including a lot of details to avoid XY problem. Background I have been dealing with a minor pest (psocids, in case you're wondering, but I don't want the conversation to become about that), mainly in a kitchen cupboard and the surrounding…
Ratler
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How can I get replacement floorboards to match existing floorboards?

I've just moved into a 1930's house and have started work on restoring the original floorboards. I had to replace around one third in each room with new boards from a local timber yard. After sanding the original boards down the colour still differs…
odd_duck
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Why did my third coat of polyurethane finish "buckle"?

I'm refinishing a table I built about 10 years ago. I put 2 layers of gloss polyurethane down and sanded between coats. All was fine at this point. I gave it another light sanding and put a third coat down. An hour later I saw that the urethane…
Landon
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How can I lighten plywood to a finish that resembles pine?

I need ideas for making some plywood attractive. Ideally I want to lighten it and then varnish it, so it ends up with a pine finish. Is this possible? Alternatively I might stain it with a diluted white paint before varnishing. Is this a good idea?…
Jodes
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Can I wash and continue to use dishes that were in a sink with a brush used for varnishing?

A brush used with varnish has been put into a sink, full of water with dishes. The dishes have not come into contact directly with the varnish, but with the varnish diluted in water. Is throwing all away too drastic? Is it enough to wash them…
laika
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