This is a great progress pic showing a before and after of stripping the clearcoat and stain from our table restoration. During the winter, when we have to do this indoors, we use a product called Citristrip. Unsurprisingly it has a citrus scent which I find appealing. However, the best part is how effective it is.

You’ll see the table leaf on the left is still coated in Citristrip. On the right is after we removed it. This involves a series of steps to pull the product off safely while making sure not to damage the substrate. In this case, the red oak underneath emerges unscathed and ready for final cleaning.

Once we have the rest of the table at the same point we can begin the sanding process. Sanding will help remove physical defects as well as smooth out the grain that was raised from the Citristrip. We still have a few hours of removing the old stain and clear coat left. It’s important to get every surface to the exact same point before you start sanding. This ensures you will have a nice even finish when you’re done.

Have any questions about a restoration project you’re doing at home? Send a message and we’ll see if we can help. We might not know the answer but we can help you find it and then we all learn something fun.