I bought a home a year ago and I do not like the wood mantle that the
builder put in the house. It is like a light oak color and I want to
stain it something darker like a mahogony color. Do I have to strip
the mantle first or just stain over the top? I'm not sure if there is
some type of sealer on it. I have a picture of the mantle that I could
post, but I don't know how to post photos!

Any help/suggestions would be appreciated!