HOW TO
PAINT & STAIN OUTDOOR
WOOD FURNITURE

Painted and stained outdoor wooden furniture

With smart planning, painting and staining your outdoor furniture can take place in less than a weekend.

There are many different types of outdoor furniture types—wicker, wrought iron, aluminum and plastic—but wood is by far the most popular. Whether you go with an opacity that allows your wood furniture’s natural grain to show through or opt for an opaque solid in your choice of 3,500+ colors, a fresh stain on outdoor furniture will yield a great new look.

Staining and painting outdoor furniture is a lot easier with expert advice to guide you. Follow these steps to achieve the best results.

Step #1: Prepare the Surface

The first step in staining or painting outdoor furniture is to make certain that the wood is absolutely dry and free of mold and mildew. Be sure to check the undersides, too.

If the old surface has stains from mold or mildew, you can properly prepare the surface by using a premium cleaner like Benjamin Moore® Clean (318). For mild cases, you can mix up your own solution using one part of household bleach to three parts water (it's best to do this outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.) Be sure to rinse the furniture and allow it to completely dry before applying the stain.

If the weather is cold, move the furniture indoors to dry; in milder weather, it's enough to place the furniture in a garage, carport, or other shelter from the rain. Don't cover the furniture with plastic or a tarp, as that will not allow enough air circulation for thorough drying.

Step #2: Sand

The next step is to sand the surfaces to be stained. If the old finish is in fairly good condition, it's enough to just roughen the surface. Start with coarse-grade sandpaper, working with the grain, then move to a finer grade sandpaper until you obtain a smooth finish. An orbital hand sander is the perfect tool for this job, if you have one. If the old finish is in bad condition, you may choose to remove all the old finish down to the bare wood. This can be accomplished with a quality wood stain remover such as Benjamin Moore® REMOVE (315).

Step #3: Assess Whether to Prime-or Not to Prime

You can skip priming altogether if the old painted or stained surface is still intact after sanding; the first coat of stain

In fact, if you are staining with any opacity other than a solid color, do not use a primer at all, since primers are white in color and will show through translucent and transparent stains.

If you are painting or staining over wood with a solid color—we recommend either ARBORCOAT® Solid (640) or a high-gloss paint like Impervex® Latex High Gloss—use Benjamin Moore's Fresh Start® High-Hiding All Purpose Primer (046) or ARBORCOAT® Oil Primer (366). Brush on the primer working with the grain using a high-quality Benjamin Moore Nylon/Polyester brush.

Step #4: Stain or Paint

If you are staining outdoor wood furniture, why not go for a product that’s strong enough to protect
decks? ARBORCOAT® Exterior Stain is formulated to protect against the harshest weather conditions as well as UV rays. ARBORCOAT® offers a range of colors and opacities, including:

6 Translucent shades: Natural, Redwood, Teak, Cedar, Mahogany, Silver Gray; ARBORCOAT® Translucent (W623)
75 Semi Transparent and Semi Solid colors: ARBORCOAT® Semi Transparent( N638) or Semi Solid (639)
Solid Opaque: The full Benjamin Moore Portfolio of 3,500+ colors is available in Solid stain ARBORCOAT® Solid (640).

See ARBORCOAT® colors here.

Also available in any Benjamin Moore color, Impervex® Latex High Gloss paint provides full color and a glossy sheen with a sleek finished look.

A Note on Grain: If you use ARBORCOAT® Solid (640) or Impervex®, the wood grain will be completely covered, however you will still be able to enjoy some of your outdoor wood furniture’s natural texture.

Step #5: Dry & Maintain

Let the furniture dry in a clean, dust-free, well-ventilated area. Don't leave it outside to dry, as wind and air may deposit dust and particles onto the wet surface.