Timeless appeal with Furniture Refinishing

Refinishing furniture is a rewarding and engaging task. Not only does it restore the beauty of the piece, but can also help extend the lifespan. Refinishing is a broad term as it involves multiple things, you can change its finish, its color, repairs, and more.

In this article, we will explore when to refinish furniture, the tools, and materials, steps to refinishing, professional help or DIY, and wrap it up with a conclusion.

When to refinish furniture?

The first step to decide is whether you need to refinish the furniture. As sometimes stripping the finish is not always necessary rather you can use a wood conditioner and it will give you the results you are looking for.

Below are a few steps that indicate that you need a refinish:

• Noticeable marks that do not go away with cleaning the furniture
• The surface is sticky even after being cleaned
• Worn-out patches and blemishes
• The color has changed to very dark or yellowish
• Starting to flake and chip off

The tools and materials required

Tools

• Safety glasses
• Sandpaper
• Putty knife
• Work gloves
• Cleaning cloths and towels
• Power sander

Materials

• Paint stripper
• Wood filler
• Wood oil
• Paints or stains
• Furniture wax
• Steps to refinish furniture
  

  Clean the furniture

  Before you start stripping off any finish it is best to use a cleaning cloth and clean the furniture. Remove any dirt or debris that might be stuck to the furniture pieces.

   Remove the finish

  You are at one of the most time-consuming parts.

  This step is for wooden furniture usually. Remove the paint, varnish, or wood stains by sanding them or using chemical strippers. Sometimes hot guns can also be used to scrape the wood off.  

  Prepare the piece

  Finally, you can take a little break. 

  After stripping down the finish let it dry and settle.  

  Fill the grains

  This step is carried out with wood pieces some types of wood require filling to smoothen out the finish. Grain filler will help you complete this job as it is a pigmented paste that comes in a range of colors, choose the option that will suit your piece the best.

  This comes down to a personal choice.

  Painting allows you customization and creativity.

  After you have stripped off the current finish, let it dry. Apply the new coat of stain and paint.

  There is a wide variety of stains and paints. One can be oil-based paints, water-based stains, and gel stains. Apply the paint evenly and work slowly through the process. The thinner the layer the more precise the look would be.

Sealing and finishing

As the name suggests it is time to seal in. 

After you are done staining and painting it would be best to apply a sealant. The sealant acts like a protective barrier that helps prevent moisture, stains, and damage. The sealing comes in a variety of choices such as lacquer, oil, wax, shellac, polyurethane, and varnish. These sealants also have different properties, like polyurethane lasts the longest.  

Allow the sealants to soak into the furniture for a while and then wipe it off.

Reassembling and final touches

Now that you think your furniture has been nicely finished. It is time to put the furniture back in its original form if you disassembled parts, it is time to put them back.

Final touches would consist of adding some decorative elements to the piece to give a beautiful outlook. 

DIY or professional help?

Most furniture refinishing can be done yourself. All you need is a set of tools and materials and a very basic skill set that you can learn online or practice. However, some pieces might be precious and unique and might require professional help as experimenting might not suit them and can be costly.

If you want to decide whether to do it yourself or get professional help, ask yourself the following questions to make your decision easy.

Am I dealing with antique pieces?

Antique pieces are usually timeless pieces that have sentimental values and emotional attachments. Sometimes refinishing them requires a specific skill set as a lot of materials and finishes back in the day cannot be found in the current era. Consultations with antique specialists will be your viable solution for antique furniture restoration. As it will ensure the job is done responsibly and properly while preserving the value of the piece. 

Is the piece stable?

Yes, this might sound a bit odd but it is true.

If the pieces have to be reglued and are taken apart then it would require professional supervision as they are well-versed and competent and know exactly how to tackle such matters.

What is my space like?

Do I have the right space is one of the key questions to carrying out this process.

 Since refinishing requires you to work with chemicals and heat guns you need to ensure that you are well-equipped and you have a comfortable space to carry out the process without damaging other things around you. As with sanding a lot of dust comes and with chemicals you need good ventilation so you are not inhaling the hazardous fumes.

Final thoughts

Furniture refinishing is one of the ways where you can give a new look to your existing furniture. Not only that but antiques can also be preserved by consulting the antique specialists. Furniture refinishing requires tools and a basic skill set. Sometimes refinishing is not that important you can use wood cleaners and conditioners to achieve a clean look. If you think there are stubborn marks that do not go away with it and the piece is changing color then it would be best to carry out the refinishing steps, which involves removing the current finishes and then letting it rest and painting or staining with new to achieve that timeless appeal.