I want to stain a finished bedroom set a darker color. Do I hire a pro or do it myself? How difficult is it?

Question

Can this be done in my apartment or does it need a garage setting?

Answer 1

Hiring somebody is going to be very pricey, especially if they supply the stain! Doing in yourself is actually quite easy..Buy a pail of stain and a good brush and just brush on the stain to the articles that you want to darken! Leave to dry and presto! DONE..make sure you have no small children around when you do this as it is hard on the lungs :)

Answer 2

I am a pro and the answers so far are pretty simplistic,first you have to consider that the furniture alresry has stain and polyurethene on it, so if you just go over it you will loose the wood grain and it will look like it is painted, so you forst must get through the layer of polyurethene,by sanding or lightly stripping it off, then you can take the new stain and very lightly dab some on and then wipe it off after 30 seconds or so , do this until you achieve the level of darkness you want, then you must re apply a couple coats of polyurethene otherwise the furniture will have no protection and your stain will come off in time, it is a trickey process if you want a professional looking result....good luck

Answer 3

Because I can't be bothered I would hire a pro. However that can get very pricy. Labor alone can be as high as $80/hr. So if you are ambitous do it yourself. i am sure it not that hard. My hubby uses a foam brush when he stains. So use a foam brush that is made for stain. Ask the guys at Home Depot or your local paint store for suggetions. Stain does have a strong odor so I would be sure you have all the windows open in the room you are working. Good luck and let us know how it comes out!!

Answer 4

If you got the money, hire somebody. I would not try to do it in an apartment. You need real good ventilation when you use paint remover. It could ignite from a pilot light on your stove or water heater. I'd either have someone come and pick it up and do it, or buy a new set. Or...you could just put up with it the way it is.

Answer 5

I have done this many times. So you should be able to doit. Make sure your room is well vented, Sand the furniture, wipe it with a tac cloth. And put the new finish on. If the furniture is not too dark,,you don't have to remove all of it. Just sand it a little going with the grain of wood. Refinish it the same way. GoodLuck

Answer 6

Trust yourself, you can do it, just follow advice.