HOW TO REFINISH & REFRESH AN OUTDOOR BENCH

Now that the colder months are behind us, we can now look forward to our backyard oasis’ to relax and unwind in. Whether you have a backyard to work with or a cute condo patio, this DIY is a great way to uplift your space and bring a cozy comfort for the warmer months ahead of us.

This is a simple and inexpensive way to refresh and transform something old into something new. Another great option is to find a second hand bench on Kijiji or a garage sale (now that the weather is nicer) to refurbish. As many of you know, our weather can be harsh on our outdoor patios over the years, especially anything made of wood. We have made a quick and super simple DIY to transform your backyard with a weathered out bench.

The before:

STEP 1: THE SHOPPING LIST

• Select and purchase a stain colour of your choice. For this project, we went with Behr Premium Wood Coatings  in semi-transparent, waterproofing stain and sealer in the colour ‘Petwer’ - https://www.homedepot.ca/product/behr-premium-semi-transparent-waterproofing-stain-sealer-tint-base-946ml/1001050916
• Paint brush we purchased was from The Home Depot - https://www.homedepot.ca/product/hdx-3-inch-75mm-poly-bristle/1000182018
• You’ll need sandpaper either for manual or electrical sander. For this project we chose to use an electric sander that we already had on hand - sandpaper can be purchased from Canadian Tire - https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/mastercraft-3-1-8-in-hook-and-loop-sanding-pad-0545509p.html#srp

STEP 2: THE HOW TO

• Make sure to protect the space you’ll be painting with drop cloths or newspaper for easy clean up.
• Make sure to cover your mouth/nose while sanding as it is unsafe to breathe in the dust particles.
• Before we did anything, we used some wood glue (not photographed) to fill in some natural cracks in the wood. We let that dry down 30 minutes before the sanding process.
• Start by sanding down the bench to its natural grain of the wood, this makes it easier for the new stain to adhere to the wood. Make sure to get every corner and picket gets sanded down. 
• After it is completely sanded down, grab an old cloth or towel to rub down and get rid of all the extra dust on the bench from sanding (do not rinse or clean off with water). The surface must be super clean and dry or the stain will not adhere and dry consistent.

• Take your time to paint each nook and cranny to ensure an even coat of paint sealer. Keep consistent brush strokes to ensure the paint sealer does not leak down leaving streak marks - you want an even coat without paint bubbles after it is dried.
• Allow to dry for 24-48 hours before using the bench.

The After:

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USEFUL LINKS

Tips on sanding wood: https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/skills-and-know-how/painting/sanding-and-preparing-wood-before-staining

Other alternatives for up-cycling materials: https://www.homedit.com/diy-outdoor-bench/

Published By Cristina