The grade or grit of sandpaper is based on the number of sand granules per square inch of paper.
Sanding stairs before staining.
Prep sanding is done with progressively finer grits.
Sand thoroughly before you apply the first coat of stain.
Make sure you sand the wood well before applying stain.
Start with 80 grit to remove big scratches and imperfections then move up to 120 and finally 220 grit.
If you re refinishing an old staircase it s important to take the time to repair strip and sand the stairs before staining them.
A lot of folks make the mistake of sanding to either too fine of a grit or not.
Sanding will also help open up the pores of the wood so that they can absorb stain better.
Minwax pre stain wood conditioner oil based learn more.
Adding a fresh coat of stain can really bring out the beauty in a wooden staircase.
Always sand down to clean wood if you have enough meat left of the wood before applying any stain.
Do not start sanding with very fine sandpaper on unfinished wood.
Prepare the surface by using medium paper first and then proceed to finer grades.
Sanding a wood deck.
Look out for any swirl marks from orbital sanders which may be hard to see initially but they will pop out like a sore thumb after you apply stain if you miss them.
After a deep power washing the wood fibers of the various components of the deck often raise as they expand with water once dry these wood fibers can often remain raised and may cause splinters.
Lastly before you stain it s a good idea to use tack cloths to clean every last bit of dust off the prepped wood surface.
With new stairs you can move right to applying coats of coordinating wood conditioner stain and varnish.
For this reason you should plan on sanding your wood deck after power washing and before staining and sealing this crucial step will ensure that your refinishing job gives.
On most raw woods start sanding in the direction of the grain using a 120 150 grit paper before staining and work up to 220 grit paper.
If you do not sand well and you simply do a rough job of it you will have exposed open cells in the grain that soak in too much stain and create a much greater darker contrast than you are probably looking for.
To minimize this difference and to reduce the blotchiness that often occurs when staining brush on a coat of minwax pre stain wood conditioner after removing the sanding dust but before you apply your stain.
Make sure you remove any sanding dust from.
Tack cloth is a cheesecloth like piece of fabric that s coated in a layer of sticky adhesive.
Sand a few times with progressively finer grit sandpaper.
The higher the number the finer the grade.
Ready to refinish those tired old stairs.
A little basic knowledge of sanding and preparing wood before staining will help your staining project go faster and easier.
Check out the video series on refinishing wood stairs.
