Maybe you could just refinish some of your furniture and give your house a fresh look, but maybe you’d like to restore old furniture instead. You might see all the great furniture in antique shops that are so valuable that you could pay a fortune for it – but you could just as easily restore it to its old beauty. This is a real possibility if you have a little patience and know-how to do it properly. You might just find that you want to restore old furniture instead of just buying new. You could actually save more money by just repairing and refinishing a couple of pieces instead of replacing them with new ones.
If you are looking for the best tips on how to restore old wood furniture, then you will want to read this article. Specifically, we’ll discuss how to restore with the right tools, how to avoid damaging the wood, and how to keep the wood new. By the time you’re done reading this article, you’ll know how to make any piece of wood furniture look new. Remember, don’t rush your project.
Strip the surface
The process usually begins with the stripping of paint or varnish on the wood to remove the surface coating. You don’t have to be an expert to do this, but it does require some practice to get the finish just right. The degree of work required depends on the particular piece, but most times a light stripping of the older paint or varnish makes a big difference in how the wood looks.
Start by sanding
Once the surface is stripped, you have two choices for how to restore old furniture: either paint it again or let it dry completely. If you are going to repaint the wood, you will probably start by sanding it down to give it a smooth, flat surface. Sanding will also help to prepare the wood for the final coats of stain and varnish. Be sure not to sand too much, because you don’t want to make the wood too smooth or even.
Paint it
For painting, you would apply the stain in even strokes and let it dry thoroughly before working on the pieces that you are applying the varnish to. If the entire piece needs to be painted, you can alternate between wet and dry methods. Let each coat dry for at least 24 hours before applying the next one. Let each coat dry completely between layers of paint, too, so that the finish is strong and durable.
For those doing the task themselves, using a stripper may seem like the easiest way to restore old furniture. But it is not a recommended option. The chemicals in the stripper can ruin the finish of the wood and can also weaken the paint beneath the varnish. So be careful when using a stripper to strip paint. Some people even paint their whole pieces before using the stripper, though, to ensure that all the paint is removed.
Clean the surface with a paint sprayer
To ensure that your furniture is as good as new, there are other things you can do to restore old furniture to its pre-accident condition. One of these is to clean the surface with a paint sprayer. A paint sprayer is a long, narrow brush that can be used to paint the entire surface or only specific parts of it, such as the tops of doors or the bottoms of cabinets. If you’re going to use a paint sprayer to restore your furniture, prep the area by making sure it’s clean and dust-free. You’ll also need a primer before using the paint sprayer. Primer helps protect the paint from damage.
When using the paint sprayer, you’ll first put some primer on the surface that you want to paint and make sure it is dry before you start spraying. Start in small areas at a time, trying to achieve the best result. If you have trouble getting the primer on, you can try adding a little water or oil to help it adhere better.
To sum up
It is not too complicated to restore old furniture. It can be quite fun. Also, it is eco-friendly and cheap, because you will reuse the furniture you have, instead of buying a new one. So, give it a try the next time you come across an old piece of furniture.