Varnish, paint or nothing?

Question for people who has the knowledge about D.I.Y. I have got this wooden garden table. its kinda old exposed to sun and rain. the surface is a bit rough now. what the best thing to make it visually pleasant again? paint it ? varnishing? i cant throw it away even if i want to...Varnish, paint or nothing?
Start by sanding, (reguardless of what finish you decide on) if you have access to an orbital sander or a palm sander it will make your life easier. If not, just use a sanding block and lots of patience. Start with a course grit, i.e. 50 or 60 grit if the wood is very rough, then sand with a 100 or 120 grit and finally finish with a 220. Now that it is smooth, determine if the wood grain is nice and visually appealing. If so and it will be out of the sun and rain, stain it and top it off with a varnish. If it is going to remain outside in the elements, stain it and finish with a water sealer....Thompson makes excellent products to protect wood. If the wood grain is something you don't want to preseve then just a couple light coats of latex paint will suffice nicely. If you have a Home Depot or Lowe's nearby, visit the paint department and they will help you though every step.


Good luck and if you need to borrow a sander let me know! :)Varnish, paint or nothing?
That depends on if it is real wood, or veneer (thin layer of wood laminated on particle board). If it is real wood, you should be able to sand it down and then stain or paint it. Its just personal preference. If you stain it, you will want to put a weather seal on it, if you paint it, put a good clear coat to protect the paint.
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Should help.