My patio chair refinish and refresh has been my favorite DIY of 2021.

Actually, I refreshed the table too, but that is another blog post you can read here.
We have this beautiful set of wood chairs that were in desperate need of some TLC.
They had faded from the sun and needed a face lift.

So, I decided to give then a few fresh coats of exterior approved stain and seal them for protection.
I was shocked at how easy the process was, including the prep work to prepare the chairs for the stain.
Prep work is key. This stain works marvelously over existing surfaces.
But, you must have a clean, smooth surface to work with or the stain will fail.
This post does contain affiliate links. This means if you click on certain links and purchase a product I recommend, I will receive a small commission.
Materials Needed
General Finishes Black Walnut Exterior 450 Stain
General Finishes Exterior 450 Flat Top Coat
A good quality synthetic paint brush
A small artist’s brush for detail work
Lint free shop towels (not regular paper towels)
lint free cloths
drop cloths to protect your surfaces
80 grit sanding block or sandpaper (you can use an orbital sander, but I found the block easier to work with for the chairs)
dawn dishwashing liquid
bucket
water
denatured alchohol
spray bottle
paint stirring sticks
Steps to Prep the Chairs for Stain
- First, I sanded the chairs with 80 grit sandpaper. The chairs were in pretty good shape. But, I specifically looked for any rough patches and smoothed them out.
- Next, I filled a bucket with warm water and Dawn dishwashing soap.
- I wiped the chairs down liberally using the lint free cloth.
- Next, using a Scotch brite pad and the Dawn soap, I went over the chairs again to remove any grease, dirt, etc.
- I rinsed the chairs with clean water and allowed them to dry.
- While the chairs are drying, I mixed a spray bottle with 50 percent denatured alcohol and water.
- I sprayed this mixture liberally on each chair and wiped away any remaining dirt and grime.
- Then, I allowed the chairs to dry.
Photos of Prep Work



Steps to Stain the Chairs
- I placed a drop cloth on a small patio table so that the chairs were easier for me to tackle.
- I placed a chair on the patio table.
- Next, I sanded the chairs with 220 grit sandpaper.
- I wiped away any dust with an oil free tack cloth. (Do not use a tack cloth containing oil. This stain is water based and does not adhere well to any oily residue.)
- Using a paint stick, I stirred the stain for about 2 minutes to mix the stain well. You do not want to shake the can. This will create air bubbles.
- Then, using a 2 inch foam brush and working in sections, I started liberally painting on the stain.
- I let the stain sit for approximately 1 minute, before I wiped the stain back using a blue shop towel.
- I repeated this process over the entire chair working in small sections all around the chair.
- For me, this process looked like this: front legs, front face, seat, sides, front back rest, back legs, back rest.
- I used a small detail artist’s brush to get the stain into the wooden holes on the back of the chair and I used the foam brush to get the stain in the slats. Then, I used a regular paint brush to feather the stain out and stop any potential drips.
- I allowed the chair to dry for approximately 4 hours.
- Then, I applied a second coat of stain using the same process.
Photos of the Staining Process











Preparation to Topcoat the Chairs
After the stain had dried, I was now ready to apply the protective exterior approved topcoat.
You can use this product as is or this topcoat can also be mixed with a stain color to create a custom color.
General Finishes calls this process toning. You can read about it here.
I planned to use this special toning mixture on the table that goes with the chairs.
Therefore, even though I darkened the chairs considerably using two coats of black walnut stain, I decided to darken the chairs even more by adding additional stain to the protective topcoat.
I chose to mix some black walnut stain with the protective topcoat.
You can use any ratio of stain to topcoat you like up to 50/50.
I used a formula of 1 part black walnut stain to 7 parts flat topcoat.
Just to be clear, you do not need to mix a custom topcoat. If your chairs are the stain you want them, then the clear topcoat is designed to be used alone.
Steps to Topcoat the Chairs
- Stir the topcoat well to mix in any solids at the bottom. Do not shake the can.
- I poured 1 cup of black walnut stain into a separate container.
- I added 7 cups of topcoat to the black walnut stain and mixed well. On hindsight, I mixed far too much of this custom stain as a little goes a long way.
- Using another foam brush, I liberally applied the topcoat mixture to one section of the chair.
- I then used another dry foam brush to feather any potential drip marks.
- The key to applying the topcoat is to go slowly and do not back brush over areas you have already covered.
- I followed the same process as I did with applying the stain – front legs, seat, sides, front of chair, back of chair.
- When I brushed the topcoat onto the seat, because it had grooves, I used the synthetic bristle paint brush to remove any extra topcoat that wanted to pool in those spots.
- I allowed the topcoat to dry 2 hours and then I gently sanded the chair down with 220 grit sandpaper.
- After sanding the chairs, I wiped them down with a lint free cloth to remove any sanding residue.
- Then, I put another layer of topcoat on the chairs.
- I allowed the chairs to dry thoroughly, and then sanded and wiped down again before applying the final layer of topcoat to each chair.
Photos of the Topcoat Process



Trouble Shooting
- If you get any runs in the stain or topcoat, use an 80 grit sandpaper to buff the run or drip out.
- Wipe the area clean and then re-stain that area.
- Allow that area to dry, and re-apply the stain if necessary to get that area to match the rest of the chair.
- Allow the area to dry thoroughly before applying the topcoat.




Tips
- I stirred the stain and the topcoat the entire time you are working with them in order to keep them properly mixed.
- When I was allowing the chairs to dry, I stored my foam brushes and synthetic brush in a plastic cup filled with water.
- When I began working again, I dried the brushes off with a lint free paper towel before using them again.
- I stored the remaining custom topcoat in a clean gallon paint can you can find at any hardware store.
THE FINISHED PROJECT!!!!!
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Jayne
April 20, 2021 5:18 pmThis is such a great tutorial! I love the colour of the chairs, you’ve completely transformed them and given them a new lease of life!
Jennifer Williams
April 21, 2021 11:29 pmThank you so much Jayne! I feel like I got a brand new outdoor dining set!
Linda at Mixed Kreations
April 22, 2021 1:39 pmOh that looks so much better. Love the darker stain. Nice job! Thanks for the tips!
Jennifer Williams
April 22, 2021 4:49 pmThank you so much Linda!
Marie
April 20, 2021 10:34 pmOh wow! I love the look of the dark chairs with the natural table . I also like how the chairs tie into your windows.
Jennifer Williams
April 21, 2021 11:29 pmThank you! Yes, that is definitely what I was trying to achieve.
Carol Karl
April 21, 2021 7:10 pmThe chairs look wonderful. I like that you chose black.
Jennifer Williams
April 21, 2021 11:28 pmThank you so much Carol!
Paula@SweetPea
April 22, 2021 4:33 pmYour chairs look so good painted black. I’m a huge fan of General Finishes products!
Jennifer Williams
April 22, 2021 4:44 pmThank you so much! I am so impressed with their product lines. I am now using their milk paint and it is phenomenal!
Christy
April 22, 2021 5:06 pmLove this tutorial! This turned out so well. Thank you for sharing
Jennifer Williams
April 22, 2021 8:03 pmThank you! I am really pleased with the outcome.
Jen
April 22, 2021 10:00 pmThey are beautiful and are so great beside your table. I want to come hang out!
Danielle
April 28, 2021 5:15 pmI love the shape of these chairs! They look so good dark! Aren’t shop towels the key to life on these refinishing projects!
Jennifer Williams
April 29, 2021 12:28 pmShop towels are little miracle workers. Thank you so much Danielle!
Cindy
April 28, 2021 5:37 pmLove this set and how fortunate to live somewhere this pretty set can be outdoors. Outdoors in NJ can be tricky. Very fickle weather in our state. It’s one extreme to the other.
Great to follow a new blog!
Cindy
Jennifer Williams
April 29, 2021 12:28 pmThank you! You can also use the stain and topcoat I used on any indoor projects as well!
Linda Johnston
April 29, 2021 1:59 pmstunning patio with the refinished furniture!
Jennifer Williams
May 3, 2021 3:00 pmThank you so much!