Refinishing your worn out furniture not only saves you money but is also saves many more resources than buying new. Don’t know what furniture refinishing is?
In general terms, refinishing refers to the act of repairing or reapplying a wood finishing coat on a furniture object. Refinishing can be applied to a variety of surfaces or materials, including metal, plastic, wood, glass with the help of varnish, lacquer, paint or wood finish. Here are five options for refinishing furniture in your home.
Photo by Unsplash/milan-popovic
Refinishing an Old Dressing Table
Who doesn’t love an old, antique dressing table? However, the wood used to create the dressing table tends to go lose its shine and protective layer over a period of years. To refinish an old dressing table, you can start by scraping off the old paint with the help of a scraper and a heat gun.
When you are done with completely scraping away old paint, apply the primer, followed by two coats of paint. You can try using Shellac (commonly known as French polish) for the drawers of the dressing table.
Do not forget to sand the edges of the table for the final touch. Your brand new, yet refinished dressing table is ready to use!
Refinish a Couch
Photo by Nicholes Ammons
Removing the old upholstery and refinishing a couch can be a tedious task. However, trying the entire process is definitely worth it in savings.
A majority of furniture, including couches, is designed to be re-upholstered. Just because the fabric on the couch has become old doesn’t mean that the couch altogether should be considered a piece of junk.
Start by taking the different parts of the couch apart. First, take off all the fabric from the bottom, followed by its back, arms and the deck. If the old fabric is still well and fits the sofa, use it as a reference to cut the new fabric. Also inspect the cushions for filling material. While cheap foam breaks down easily, consider using high-quality foam.
To assemble the new upholstery, start by cutting out the fabric by taking reference from the size of the removed fabric. Next, sew the fabric to fit the couch. Make sure to use heavy thread and needle. You can use a gun to staple the sewed fabric to the couch.
French Polishing for Wooden Furniture
French polish, or Shellac, is a furniture-polishing technique that results in a highly glossy surface. The technique involves the application of several layers of Shellac dissolved in alcohol. The polish is applied with the help of a rubbing pad dipped in oil.
Photo by Nicholes Ammons
Shellac is used for two primary reasons – appearance and protection. Wooden furniture often needs protection against moisture, sunlight, humidity and everyday wear and tear. In addition to protection, Shellac enhances the appearance of the wooden or timber furniture.
Shellac application leaves the wood with a sheen and luster. It’s like the wood is brought to life altogether. Shellac is also used to change the color of the wood, repair the damaged surfaces and hide any form of marks. It helps improve the appearance of the wood dramatically.
Refinishing Metal Furniture
The primary reason to refinish metal furniture is because of damage done by rust, which is a form of iron oxide formed by a reaction between oxygen and iron in the presence of water or moisture. Surface rust gives metallic things a flaky appearance and stops protecting the inner metal from external damage. This is the primary reason why it should be removed by refinishing the metal furniture.
Metal furniture can be refinished by scraping and sanding off the rust with a brush. Next, you need to clean the scraped off furniture with a solvent and then applying primer. Once the primer is applied, paint of suitable color can be sprayed on furniture to give it a brand new look.
Photo by Nicholes Ammons
Refinishing an Old Door
With time, old doors start to make creaking sounds while opening and closing. The irritating sound of the doors calls for refinishing of the door. It might also require a refinishing in case of faulty hinges and some other problems associated with the door opening and closing.
You can try refinishing an old door by first removing the old door from its joints. Next, stripe off the old finish from the door and clean it properly with the help of the sanding process. Once cleaning and sanding are done, stain and finish the door and hang it back again.
Refinishing Outdoor Furniture
Furniture placed outside the home is specifically exposed to harsh conditions related to the environment. For example, rain, dust, moisture, humidity and direct sunlight can affect the quality of the furniture placed outside. Therefore, such furniture required special care, maintenance and attention on a regular basis.
Start by sanding down the furniture properly and then spraying a paint of your choice. You can choose to use a cardboard stencil to spray on a name of the chair owner or anything else that you want. End the process by wiping off the stains and you chair is ready.
Refinishing an Antique Chair
Pieces of furniture that has lived for many years often have a great sentimental value associated with them. Antique chairs are one such piece of furniture that is passed down to different generations within the same family.
However, with time, such pieces of furniture lose their splendour. This is the primary reason why antique furniture like a chair needs refinishing over a period of time.
To refinish an antique chair, start by checking the chair for the presence of woodworm. Check if there is dust falling off from the chair, which is an indication of woodworms. Next, check for the sturdiness of the chair. Is the chair comfortable? Is the armchair sound and sturdy?
Check the joints of the armchair. You might want to dismantle the joints and attach them back again or you can use a clamp to push the joints back. Next, check the status of the seat rail.
Lastly, look at the actual sculpting of the chair. You can infill to bring the actual splendour of the original chair.
Nicholes Ammons is a veteran in furniture refinishing and a connoisseur when it comes to picking the right kind of furniture for use. He has extensively studied furniture over the significant time he’s spent working at Austin Furniture Repair as a Production Worker.
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