Refinishing Old Wooden Furniture

Refinishing Old Wooden Furniture

That old piece of wooden furniture you found at a flea market, garage sale or in the attic begs to be refinished. You can see the finished product gracing your home. Yet, first you need to ascertain whether or not that rustic furniture would be considered an antique.

Check it out

Do the homework needed to find out if that piece of rustic furniture has value. If it is an antique, you might not want to do anything but dust it off. Refinishing may lower the value. Take an antique to a professional for restoration. However, if it is simply an old piece of wooden furniture, you can restore the piece or refinish it to fit into a more contemporary decor.

Old Wooden Furniture

Fundamental Repairs

Check over the piece carefully. Before doing any work on the wooden furniture, make sure it is structurally sound. If a leg is wobbly or a drawer is disintegrating, repair the piece to ensure it is solid before any other work is done.

Choose

Before starting the refinishing project, choose what you plan to do with the piece. Maybe you wish to bring out the original wood with a clear protective coat. Maybe you prefer to stain or paint the piece to make it compatible with a certain decor or room. The supplies you buy will depend, in part, on your plans for the wooden furniture.

Gather Supplies

Supplies include steel wood, furniture stripper and sand paper. It might also include a sander to make the process go more quickly and newspaper to protect the floor or surface. Include gloves to protect your hands, a mask to protect you from breathing in noxious fumes and goggles to protect your eyes. Other supplies include a sealant, stain, paint or protective coating. Prepare
Choose an area that can be easily and safely ventilated. Place newspaper on the work surface. Wear the protective gear when using the stripping compound.

Stuff Required

Strip

You want to get rid of the layers of stain, paint, grime and dirt that have accumulated on the surface of the wooden furniture. This may well require the use of a stripping compound. This is the time to open windows and make sure the area is well ventilated. Follow directions on the product purchased for this purpose.

Striping the Furniture

Sanding

By hand or with the sander, sand off any area left by the stripping process. If staining, apply a sanding sealer.

Sanding the Wooden Rack

Finally

Stain, paint the wooden furniture or leave as natural, rustic furniture by applying a Polyurethane coat.