Renovation of furniture. How to renovate wooden furniture?

Furniture refurbishment is a way to give beautiful but already slightly damaged objects a second life. Both souvenirs from our ancestors and those bought for little money at a flea market will have a chance to enjoy our eyes again and serve us for many years. What should a step-by-step renovation of furniture look like?

Furniture renovation – really worth it

A squeaky grandmother’s wardrobe, a wooden bed frame with numerous splinters of varnish or a table whose top bears traces of kitchen work and children’s games – none of this furniture deserved to be found in a rubbish dump. First of all, the history with which they are connected should be respected, secondly – currently produced wooden furniture is very expensive, so renovating the old one is simply a saving. With a little care and commitment, we can make the damaged surface shine like new. Renovating furniture could seem like a long and complicated process – in fact, it is not a task that can overwhelm an adult – especially in view of the benefits that can be gained from it. It is enough to thoroughly clean the furniture, fill in small cavities on the surface with special preparation and protect it properly.

Renovating furniture – where to start

Renovation of furniture should take place in several stages. To begin with, we must ensure that the surface of the furniture is properly prepared. We remove old coatings, i.e. paints, stains, varnishes and all kinds of contamination. If the coatings have managed to peel off, we use an agent to remove old coatings, then neutralize the surface with water and leave it to dry for 24 hours. Lacquered furniture is carefully sanded with 240 grit sandpaper. If you are working with waxed wood, remove the wax and then sand and dust off. In order to make the task easier for large surfaces (wardrobe, table), it is worth to use a sander.

Renovating furniture – varnishing

Wood lacquer in furniture renovation works as protection – thanks to it the surface will be resistant to scratches, impacts, water and stains, and it also emphasizes the beautiful colour of this natural material. How do we apply varnish to the surface when refurbishing furniture? We start by thoroughly mixing the product. For application, we use a brush or roller (you can also use a gun, then the lacquer should be diluted), which we move along the rings taking care not to create stains. After the first layer of lacquer has dried (usually it takes about 3 hours), the furniture should be sanded with sandpaper of 240-grain size and dusted off. Then apply the second coat of varnish, wait until it dries – and you’re done!

Renovating furniture – waxing

The second way to protect the surface in furniture renovations is waxing. This method allows obtaining interesting decorative effects. Depending on the style of the arrangement to which we want to match the furniture, we can use waxes in dark shades – they even out the colour of the wood, or light – thanks to them we can obtain “rubbing” characteristic for rustic or shabby chic interiors. The wax is applied to the surface with a piece of steel wool or cotton cloth, rubbing the preparation gently with circular movements in the direction of wood fibres. After drying (it usually takes 2-4 hours), polish the furniture with a cloth or brush of stiff bristles. Apply a second layer of wax and repeat the other steps.

We wish you a successful renovation!!