Q: My childhood dresser is beautiful but the wood stain looks faded. I’d love to update it with fresh paint and new hardware, but I’ve heard that you can’t get good results painting over stain. Is ...

I tested paint and varnish strippers for a DIY furniture project. Among Max Strip, Minwax, Citristrip, and Smart Strip, two finish removers delivered.

Q: Our vacation house has vintage Trex decking. After a few years, it became horribly ugly, and no amount of cleaning or brightening ever did more than just lighten the stains. More than five years ...