Refinishing Teak Wood

Lead Image for Refinishing Teak Wood
  • 4-8 hours
  • Beginner
  • 50-200
What You'll Need
Sander
Chemical stripper
Polyurethane
Rag
Gloves
Goggles
Mask
Scraper
What You'll Need
Sander
Chemical stripper
Polyurethane
Rag
Gloves
Goggles
Mask
Scraper

Teak wood is one of the most beautiful woods that is available in the market today. It is used in a variety of different applications, from flooring to furniture. If your teak wood is starting to look old, you may want to refinish it. Here are the basics of how to refinish teak wood.

Step 1: Clean the Teak

Before you get started refinishing, you should give the teak a quick cleaning. Remove any dust or oils on the outside of the teak. In order to do this, you can simply wipe it down with a rag.

Step 2: Apply Stripper

The next step involves applying a chemical stripper to the surface of the teak. A chemical stripper is a substance that you can put on wood to remove the finish. The chemical stripper is going to sit on the surface of the wood and break down the finish. Most chemical strippers come in a liquid or gel that you can easily apply to the surface.

When you are working with this chemical stripper, you will want to make sure that you are wearing protective gear such as gloves, a mask, and goggles. This can be a very harsh substance and you do not want it to hurt you. Read the directions of the stripper in order to determine how long you are going to leave it on the surface of the wood. In most cases, you will need to leave it on the wood somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes.

Step 3: Remove

After the stripper has been on the surface for the appropriate amount of time, you can remove it from the teak. In order to do this, you will need to scrape it off with a scraper. Make sure that you get all of the strippers off the teak.

Step 4: Wash

At this point, you will want to wash the teak wood to remove all of the chemicals. You should complete this process with lacquer thinner. When you are working with the lacquer thinner, you will want to make sure that the windows and doors are open.

Step 5: Sand

Once the finish is completely removed, you will then need to sand the wood. The easiest way to do this is with a sander. However, you could potentially use sandpaper as well. Make sure that you sand the entire surface of the wood evenly before moving on.

Step 6: Stain

Once you are done sanding, you should be able to apply the stain to the surface. This can be applied with a brush or with a rag. Make sure that the stain is dry before you move on.

Step 7: Finish

You will then be able to apply the finish coat to the wood. In most cases, you will want to use a polyurethane finish. After you apply the polyurethane, make sure that you allow it to dry thoroughly before using the wood.