How to Refinish Cedar Outdoor Furniture

One afternoon, you were sitting in your garden, and suddenly, you noticed that your outdoor garden furniture, made from cedar wood, does not have the same look and color as before, and they are turning gray.

You very much liked the reddish-brown hue of your outdoor cedar furniture, and you want to bring that back. Some of your neighbors suggested that you can get around the original color of your furniture by refinishing them, but you don’t know how to refinish cedar outdoor furniture.

Well, usually, cedar wood does not require any input from man. They naturally age and turn gray. Refinishing cedar wood furniture can be done by some methods, like using sand and applying stains, but without detailed guidelines, you can’t correctly refinish your outdoor cedar furniture.

We will help you with the proper guideline for refinishing your cedar outdoor furniture. So, without any further ado, let’s jump right in.

What Is Cedar Wood?

Before learning about refinishing, it’s essential to understand what cedar wood is. This part of the article will be helpful for you to know about the type of wood you are using for your outdoor furniture and what are the uses of it.

Cedar wood is a versatile domesticated softwood that grows in both the east and west sides of the US. Cedarwood has a noticeably pleasing aroma and has a natural insect-resistant ability. The natural preservatives of cedar wood make it more durable compared to other types of wood.

Most types of cedar wood have a pinkish-red hue. Although by time and reaction with the elements of nature, it can turn dark brown or red. As it ages, it gradually loses its red hue and becomes gray or ash.

Although many varieties of cedar trees like eastern red cedar or Spanish cedar, eastern red cedar, and western red cedar are most commonly used for lumber. Cedarwood makes natural cedar oil, fencing, boats, porch floor, high-quality furniture, musical instruments, and many more.

Cedar wood is mainly used for making patio furniture because cedar is the most weather-resistant wood. It can even last long enough in places with very harsh or unfavorable climates.

What Causes Damage to Outdoor Cedar Furniture?

It may feel a little disturbing to know, but some elements of mother nature are the main reason for the fade and breakdown of cedar patio furniture.

UV Rays of the Sun

We all know that everything is at the mercy of the UV rays coming from the sun, from humans to outdoor furniture. Just like it is a matter of concern for human life, your outdoor furniture must also worry.

In every climate, mainly in the summer, when the sun burns the most, UV rays continuously break into the lignin of woods, strengthening the woods’ fibers. And this is also the same reason cedar woods turn gray and dry out slowly.

Although the UV rays of direct sun are not harmful to outdoor teak furniture or other hardwood furniture for softwood, the graying of furniture can be risky because they are more amenable to checking or warping, allowing water to get inside the wood and harm it.

Wood Rot

Wood rot is cancer for the woods; if you don’t pay proper attention, wood rot will destroy your outdoor cedar furniture.

Wood rot is generally caused because of the growth of fungus, and fungus grows from constant rain or moisture in the weather. Oxygen and food sources are what help the development of fungi in woods.

The more the wood stays wet, the more it will cause wood rot. Rain or weather moisture is the main reason to moisten your wooden furniture constantly.

Rust & Oxidation

Oxidation is caused by constant exposure to water and oxygen in iron or steel metals. And this oxidation process gradually weakens the metals, and metals start to create rust and discoloration.

Woods get cracked or defective in places with iron metals, creating rust. Because of rust from iron or steel, the fiber of the wood gets weak, and it defects the wood in many ways.

How to Refinish Cedar Outdoor Furniture?

In the discussions above, we discussed what cedar wood is and what causes damage to outdoor cedar furniture.

Now we are at the most critical part of the discussion: how to refinish your cedar outdoor furniture. So, without any delay, let’s start the refinishing process.

Supply You Need for Refinish Cedar Outdoor Furniture

You will need some equipment or supplies to do the refinishing process. The required supplies are-

• Wood stain
• Paintbrush
• Pre-stain conditioner for wood
• Clean rag or tack cloth (better if you use tack cloth)
• Sandpaper (220 grit sandpaper)

Now let’s get down to the refinishing process.

Clean, Then Sand the Wood

To clean the wood, gently wipe the surface with a clean rag. It’s better to use a tack cloth to clean the surface.

After you are done with cleaning, lightly sand the wood surface with 220 grit sandpaper without any spot loss. You should maintain a direction while sanding the wood, like moving horizontally from the left side to the right side while rubbing. Keeping an order will help you avoid scratches and better accept wood stains.

When you have finished sanding, clean the surface with a tack cloth and ensure you don’t leave any wood grain, grinding dust, or loose debris on the surface. Cleaning and sanding are helpful to remove unnecessary stuff from wood and help to make the wood super smooth.

Use Pre-stain Wood Conditioner

Using a pre-stain wood conditioner isn’t a must-doing option, but using it has some benefits. Wood conditioner benefits the wood take stain properly and prevent the surface from blotches.

Cedar wood is a softwood that consumes a lot of colors if you put stain directly on the wood without using a pre-stain wood conditioner on the surface.

After applying that on the wood surface, let the surface rest for 30 to 40 minutes to absorb the conditioner properly, and then wipe whatever is left with a piece of old cloth.

Although using a pre-stain wood conditioner isn’t essential, we highly recommend that to have a better outcome.

Apply Stain

If you finish the steps we discussed above, it’s time you stain the wood. You can find stains of various colors in the market, but we suggest you get the color that matches your old finish.

You can use a regular paint brush or natural bristle brush to apply the stain. Dip the top part of the brush into the paint and apply a layer of paint on the wood. Ensure you don’t dip the bush too much in the stain to prevent splashing when you use it. It will also resist the meeting from absorbing too much color.

Just like the process of sanding, you should also maintain a left-side to right-side direction while applying the stain. It will help you to prevent brush strokes.

After 2-3 minutes of applying the stain, wipe the extra paint with a clean rag before it permanently sits on the wood surface.

Dry the Wood

After covering it with the coat of stain, let the wood dry out for 24 hours. Depending on the weather, you may need more than 24 hours to dry it. It will dry fast during summer compared to drying in the spring season. Remember not to apply the second coat until the first one is dry properly.

Applying the next coat before the first is thoroughly dried can cause scars on the wood surface. So be sure about using a second coat on your cedar outdoor furniture.

Drying is an integral part of the woodwork, so let the stains dry appropriately under the direct heat of the sun, or if you want to protect it from harmful elements, you can keep it somewhere safe with good ventilation.

Apply Finish

When you are done applying the first and second coats of stain, it’s time to use a finish on the wood to finish the refinishing process. Many people just apply paint on their outdoor furniture, but applying a finish works for a better outcome.

We prefer thinning finishes with mineral spirits to add about 30 percent of the mineral spirits to the finish to make it easier to wipe on intricate designs. It makes the finish penetrate the wood better and easier to apply.

Applying finish and wiping is the same as applying stain, but be careful about avoiding drips and runs.

Conclusion

From making porches to making high-quality furniture, cedar wood is an excellent choice for all of them. Although cedar wood doesn’t require regular maintenance to provide good service and longevity, it can outpass harmful weather elements with some care.

And we know that elements like weather, moisture, or UV rays of the sun are harmful elements to wood.

We hope the guidelines of how to refinish cedar outdoor furniture above will help you to refinish your cedar outdoor furniture and help you to refinish your furniture correctly.