Those of you with solid wood furniture might notice that it’s starting to look a little dull and well-worn these days. Maybe you want to spruce it up a bit or give it a whole new appearance. Well, you’re in luck as we’re going to cover the basics as to how one should go about refinishing his or her solid wood furniture.
For starters, the steps you will take to refinish your wood furniture are mostly the same as for when you want to refinish wood floors. This is a job most anyone can do by themselves; the steps are relatively simple. However, nothing beats a professional finishing job like the one you night get from a professional company such as N-Hance Wood Renewal in Spokane.
However, before you get to work on refinishing your wood, there are a few things you need to consider in order to determine whether you should do the work at all.
Condition of The Furniture
No matter if you are refinishing your wood furniture, your wood cabinets, or just about anything else around the home that is constructed from wood, if the piece in question is not exemplary working order, then you should probably make any necessary repairs or replacements first.
As for solid wood furniture, examine the piece you plan to refinish and make sure that it’s in good working order. Be it a chair, a table, a bed frame or anything else made of wood, always check first for any damage that might compromise the normal functionality of the piece.
You certainly do not want to spend the time and money to refinish a solid wood piece that is damaged or not working in the manner that it was intended. Take the time to fix what needs fixing as the damage that exists currently could become a whole lot worse before too long.
Refinishing Your Wood Furniture
Now that you have determined that your furniture is worth saving and restoring, after you’ve checked for damage or fixed what was once in disrepair, you can then get started on the refinishing process.
The steps are short and simple, because we believe that making any job complicated will only result in the poor quality of that work:
Stripping the Wood Surface
Using your preferred wood stripper of choice, apply the stripper evenly over the entire surface of the wood furniture you plan to work on. After you apply it, allow it remain on the surface for around 5 to 10 minutes. Some strippers may need a longer period of time, so refer to the instructions on your product before you get to work. But no matter how long you leave it on there, you will know it’s beginning to work when you see the old finish lifting from the wood surface.
Scrape Away the Old Finish
Use the scraper gently to clear away the finish you wish to remove. Just be sure to wipe the blade after each scrape. Some jobs might require multiple applications and removals to get all of it off your wood surface.
Cleaning Away the Residue
Stripping and scraping should be enough to remove the majority of the finish from your project. But a few splashes of mineral spirits on a clean cloth should be able to get the last remnants that were left behind by your scraper.
Sanding
Like with any wood refinishing project, you will be expected to sand the surface as a way to clear away the top dead layers and last remaining finish. You want to sand the surface down to the bare wood, this might require a medium grit sandpaper to start, followed by a much finer option afterward. That way you can be sure of a clean, even surface upon which you can apply your new finish.
Just don’t forget to wipe any sanding residue that might be left behind. Doing so will prevent your new finish from bonding evenly with the bare wood.
Apply the Finish
Use a pad instead of brush and use long even strokes to cover the whole surface. This should be done slowly and carefully, so all of your wood gets enough finish.
Removing the Excess
Wipe away the excess finish by going with the grain and doing it slowly. Apply additional coats until you reach the color and appearance you want, but just remember, every coat will need to be wiped down for removing the excess left.
Clear Coat
Finally, once the top coat of finish has dried completely, use an oil-based clear coat to lock in the color and shine of your finished furniture. For best results, lay down two coats, sanding the first with a fine grit sandpaper before laying down the second.
When you’re done, let the clear coat dry for at least 24 hours. Make sure their furniture is exposed to plenty of air flow.