Refinishing Furniture

Do you own some pieces of old furniture which you don't feel like discarding? Antique furniture is definitely the charm of your home decor. There are many such furniture pieces that we keep in our house for years. Though these lose their finish or get damaged, you don't feel like keeping them away. If you have such furniture items which have become unattractive then why not think about refinishing them? Yes, refinishing furniture is a great option you can think about if you want to give a new touch to your old furniture.

Furniture Refinishing Procedure

Step 1
Start the procedure of refinishing home furniture in a well ventilated area. Take a heavy grit sandpaper and sand its surface thoroughly. If you're thinking of painting furniture, move on to step 3. If you are going to give it a stained effect, proceed with step 2.

Step 2
With a stripping knife, remove the remaining paint on furniture surface. After this again sand with a medium grit sandpaper to make it plain. Well, if you love the distressed wood look, just ignore the minor strips of paint left on the surface. Refinishing furniture without stripping the thin lines and strips, will give an uneven look to the piece, which is sure to look natural and beautiful. Now follow step 4.

Step 3
Now take a 200 grit sandpaper and again sand the surface. Make sure you sand it thoroughly so as to create a perfect base for painting.

Step 4
Take dry rugs and clean the surface. Make sure that dust or wood particles are not left behind on the surface. Also, there is no need to use a wet cloth. Now, proceed with one of the two ideas of refinishing wood furniture; painting or staining.

Furniture Refinishing Ideas

Staining Furniture
Staining techniques vary depending upon the piece of furniture and type of wood you are working upon. Rag wood staining technique is best for working on small areas. Take a medium size rag, dip it in stain and rub it on wood. Work along the grain and leave the stain for a few hours before you wipe off excess stain with a clean cloth. Now apply polyurethane to have the furniture refinishing task done perfectly.

Spraying or brush wood staining techniques are other options to remodel furniture units. One of the furniture refinishing tips is to avoid performing spray wood staining technique yourself. It is a bit difficult task, so it's best to be left for a professional. Consider brush wood staining by using a brush and water based stain or oil based stain. Apply stain using a brush in the direction of the grain and leave it to dry for a few hours. Finish by gently wiping off excess stain and applying polyurethane.

Painting Furniture
Before you work with paint colors, apply a coat of primer on the entire furniture surface. Choose a primer matching with the type of paint that you will be using. For example, for latex paint use a latex primer, for oil-based paint use an oil-based primer. Apply two coats of primer. Apply second coat only before the first one dries off. Remember that this is one of the furniture refinishing tips that you must follow even while you apply the paint coats on furniture. You can do spray painting or use a brush to apply the chosen paint on the piece of furniture. Once the paint dries off and painting task is done, apply polyurethane to have a great looking glossy piece of furniture. You can opt for various furniture painting techniques to give it an even more attractive look.

You can also consider applying a tung oil finish to your furniture. Yes, tung oil is best for giving a classy antique look to the piece. With the aforementioned tips and ideas you can save the furniture refinishing cost and have this exercise performed in the best way.