There is nothing quite as satisfying as restoring old
furniture to its former glory. Restoring old furniture pieces is also
addictive. Once it becomes your hobby, you’ll always seek new pieces and
challenges to refinish.
For a beginner, refurbishing furniture will seem a daunting
task, but once you give it a go, you’ll see that it's not.
To help all beginners overcome their fears, we made a
complete guide to refurbishing old furniture. If you’re new to this hobby, this
guide will certainly be useful to you. Let’s crack on.
Investigate and assess
Before rolling up your sleeves, you should do some research
to figure out your furniture’s value. Most vintage furniture pieces will have
either a label or a mark that indicates their origin.
If you find anything that might indicate that you have an
antique piece in your possession, instead of trying to restore it yourself,
consider giving it to professionals. Professional antique restoration requires a bit more experience and knowledge so that
the value of the piece stays intact. As a hobbyist restorer, you probably don’t
have all the necessary tools to pull this off.
This is why doing some investigation and assessment of your
furniture pieces is crucial so that you don’t lessen or destroy the value of an
antique piece.
Thoroughly clean your old furniture
When it comes to restoring old furniture, a lot of time and
energy will go into preparation of the pieces. So, before you take out your
sander or paint brush, start by thoroughly cleaning the piece you want to
restore.
Most old furniture tends to have a layer of dirt and grime.
Removing this buildup can reveal a beautiful finish underneath, so a thorough
cleaning and buffing might be all that an old piece needs to look new again.
You can clean most old furniture with a mix of warm water
and mild soap. Use a sponge and a small toothbrush to clean the furniture. The
brush will be useful to clean nooks and crannies, furniture filigrees, and
detailed pieces.
Make sure you’re safe
When starting a furniture restoration project, prioritize
safety. You don't want to risk getting a wood splinter in your eye or being
overwhelmed by harsh fumes.
Wear long-sleeved clothing to protect your skin from harmful
chemicals in wood strippers and varnish. Use safety glasses, wear a respirator,
and make sure you work in a well-ventilated area to avoid strong vapors.
Tools and equipment
To refurbish your furniture, you’ll need some tools and
equipment. For example, sandpaper is a must-have for sure. So, make sure you
get a variety of grits - from rough to the finest grits. Steel wool and liquid
wood stripers can also come in handy, so make sure you have them in your
workshop.
Wood glue, wood putty, measuring tape, screwdrivers,
hammers, different paintbrushes - you’ll need all of these tools to
successfully refurbish an old furniture piece.
Repair the furniture
If you do conclude that your piece needs refinishing, it’s
time to repair or replace any broken pieces. In most cases what you need to
replace will be hinges, legs, and similar parts.
Hardware can be easily sourced and replaced. But you might
have trouble matching the furniture leg to others. In most situations,
achieving a perfect match will require custom-made parts.
When it comes to repairs, you might need to tighten some
wobbly pieces. Check the screws and tighten them, if they are too rusted,
replace them. Similarly, add glue where needed.
When disassembling the furniture, make sure you put it
together exactly how it was.
Take some pictures and Label hardware and individual pieces
as you remove them to ensure you remember where they belong.
To refinish or to paint?
Before you decide whether to refinish or paint, you'll
need to remove the old paint. This can be physically demanding, so be ready for
some hard work.
For DIYers, it's best to use a combination of chemical
strippers and sanding. Patience is key, as some finishes can be stubborn to
remove. Rushing the process may lead to additional repairs.
Sometimes restaining your pieces won’t be worth it. That’s
when you can paint it. Before painting, remove the dust and debris from sanding
with a damp cloth.
If you want to refinish your piece with a stain, you’ll need
to see which stain works best with the wood of your piece. There are many kinds
of stains, so choosing the right one might take some time.
Conclusion
Restoring furniture to its old glory is not as complicated
as it’s time-consuming. Before you embark on your new project, make sure you
have enough time to devote to it. Otherwise, refurbishing old furniture is fun,
and seeing the final product will inspire you to restore another piece.
