Lackluster wooden furniture can be restored to its former glory with a little bit of elbow grease and hard work. Below are a few tips for taking your wooden furniture from dull and tired to lustrous.
- Remove Finish
Before you can restore wooden furniture, you must first strip the old finish. First, apply a paint stripper (there are spray strippers as well as spray polyurethane Chalfont PA available for sale) and wait the amount of time indicated on the instructions. Next, remove the finish using a scraper tool. Using a disposable cloth, wipe the blade between scrapes to keep it clean. You may need to repeat this process if the finish was especially thick.
- Clean Residue
Clear off any residue using mineral spirits and a clean cloth.
- Sand it Down
Using a palm sander, sand down the piece of furniture using medium-grit sandpaper until the bare wood is visible. Then sand again using fine-grit sandpaper until smooth and consistent. After sanding remove all dust with a tack cloth.
- Apply Stain
For easy application, use a staining pad to apply stain. There are many stains to choose from, use what works best for you. Apply the stain in long, even strokes. Remove excess stain with a clean cloth in long strokes going with the grain of the wood. The staining process will take multiple coats, but be sure to allow the stain to dry before applying another coat. This will ensure that your finish is smooth and that you like the color of the stain you wind up with.
- Seal the Stain
After the stain has dried completely, you must seal the stain. As mentioned above, you can use a spray polyurethane for effective coverage. Allow 24 hours for the seal to dry before moving the piece.
Old wooden furniture can be refreshed following the steps above and can look as good as new.
