Restoring the finish on an oak bathroom vanity

13 years ago

I have a 20-year-old oak bathroom vanity. Originally it had a rather blondish light finish, and still does on the sides. However, over the years, water and cleaning has removed much of the finish from the front drawer and door surfaces, leaving a lot of bare wood that is much lighter (almost white) than the original finish.

I would like to restore the finish to its original look but have no clue as to how to go about it.

My first thought (dangerous, I know, for a neophyte) was to remove the drawers and doors (and their hardware) and start sanding with a paper just coarse enough to take everything down to the bare wood. Even if that is the correct first step, after that I have no idea what to do next. I did do a little googling (also dangerous) and then thought the next step might be applying a sanding sealer, lightly sanding again with a very fine paper, then applying a very light oak stain (starting VERY light, so I could move on to a darker stain if necessary to match the rest of the cabinetry).

Am I even on the right track? Also, when it comes to applying stain (or whatever), should I use a bristle brush, a foam brush, a rag, or what? And what kind of stain (or whatever) do I need to use? Polyurethane? Something else?

Any step-by-step advice would be greatly appreciated.

Featured Answer

tuesday_2008

8 years ago

I did mine in a day. I did not totally sand the finish off - just enough to give it an edge to hold the poly.

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Comments (12)

sloyder
13 years ago
It's going to be hard to match the stain, on the newly sanded parts to the rest of the vanity. If it were me I would sand everything down, put on a stain you like, and then a couple top coats of polyurethane, or spar varnish.
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User
13 years ago
Scrub the cabinets thoroughly, first with soapy water and then with mineral spirits to remove any :crud". Then sand them lightly to smooth them.

Use a slightly darker gel stain (General Finishes is great), and you can go right over the old finish. Top it with some wipe-on General Finishes top coat.
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These are all very good thoughts! I’ve been looking on Facebook Market and Craigslist for used vanities or floor sample sale items, and I’ll continue to do that. We’ve been by a couple of warehouses that have items from demolition, but nothing has quite worked yet. Habitat for Humanity May be a good place to look though - we haven’t been there! For removing the shower door, I didn’t think of that for a full shower. Can that be done? I figured doors were necessary, and my husband didn’t like the idea of just covering the doors with a shower curtain. Getting rid of it could be good.. I think changing out the mirror, light and paint could be the first step to take sooner than later. Complication to white is that this tile is cream colored. See this pic to see the difference... still neutral at least! I think I can move forward with navy and gold accents, right?
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RRM1
13 years ago
This is a bathroom (lots of moisture) and the topcoat is very important. I use and like many of General Finishes' products, However, they are not all recommended for moist or damp environments. Their wipe-on lines are usually not. I use their waterborne finishes and can recommend the Enduro line from GF. They have some brush-on finishes that are very good with wet. I'm sure you don't want to do this again in 6-12 months.
Richard
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janralix
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks, all. I'll give it a try.
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Pink Poppy
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Sorry for reviving a 5 year old thread and for hijacking it too... thought it would be better etiquette than starting a new thread on the same topic since I need advice for a similar issue.

I've been very neglectful and careless with the oak vanity in my bathroom. The finish on the doors and panels that get water dripped on them is now almost completely off in some spots and the bare wood is exposed.

I don't have time to DIY restore them nor do I have the funds to get them professionally restored (gotta pay for then pay off my upcoming kitchen reno first). Is there anything I can apply to protect the wood until I can restore it? This likely won't happen for several years.

I've used a homemade beeswax & olive oil wood "polish" to restore wooden items like utensils and bowls. Would it be OK to use that on the vanity? I've done some reading up on how to care for wood floors and I know waxes are a no no, if I ever want to refinish the floors so I'm guessing the same applies to wood vanities.
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tuesday_2008
8 years ago
I know you say you don't have time to DIY this yourself, but here is what I did to a vanity that did not take a lot of time. Many years ago, my builders grade oak double vanity was showing wear and tear from water, cleaning, etc. I cleaned the wood well to remove typical bathroom grunge (mainly hairspray), lightly sanded all of it (did not take much time), cleaned well with a tack cloth, then applied a coat of gloss clear poly. I think I used Minwax. The poly really enhanced the old wood and blended the worn spaces well with the non-worn. Believe it or not - it still looks good. I am planning to do a total gut job this fall and will give this vanity to a family member that needs it.
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Pink Poppy
8 years ago
tuesday_2008: thanks for replying! How long would you say the whole project took? It certainly does sound easy and quick... if it only takes a weekend that's something I can get on board with!
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Pink Poppy
8 years ago
I'm considering doing a total refinish with Rubio Monocoat. It seems like the best solution for longterm use as it can be easily spot finished over time. After some consideration, I think I'll just skip the "bandaid" step and make time to refinish it entirely. It likely won't be until next summer so I'll just be more careful with the wood until then.

Anyone have advice on refinishing bathroom vanities with Rubio Monocoat? I find lots of info on using RMC on floors but not on cabinets or vanities.
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Pink Poppy
8 years ago
I'm bumping this in the hopes of getting advice on this before summer's end. It looks like I'll have some time to take on this project over the next few weeks. I've read the instructions on Rubio's site http://www.monocoat.us/furniture-applications/ for finishing furniture. Sounds straightforward enough - sand, apply, remove all excess, buff if a satin finish is desired. I've never refinished wood before so this is all new to me. Any other tips before I give it a go?
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sambah006
8 years ago
Say no to olive oil as a wood finish. It will go rancid. There is a reason olive oil was never used as a medium in oil painting. Walnut oil would be acceptable, assuming you buy it at an artists supply store.

An easy solution is to buy something labeled as Teak oil. It is a very dilute weak varnish that is extremely easy to use.

It will create the same finish as rubio monocoat for a fraction of the price.
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bobismyuncle
8 years ago
http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/teak-oil-what-is-it
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Restoring the finish on an oak bathroom vanity

tuesday_2008

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Restoring the finish on an oak bathroom vanity

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