As owner of the Grass Valley, California, branch of Furniture Medic, a leading furniture and restoration franchise, Danny Walker has brought new life to countless numbers of drab and dingy home furnishings. The most common calls that come into his office, he says, are customers looking to have chairs re-glued or to have old wooden tables stripped and refinished. And, many times, people who have tried to restore their furniture themselves end up being disappointed with the results and request that a technician comes to their home or business to correct mistakes and return the wood to an original-looking state.
The average person could not restore a damaged or tarnished piece of wood furniture properly, explains Walker. But, still, many are willing to try. In an era of DIY mantras and guides, more and more people are resolving to get their hands dirty in an attempt to bring new life to their existing furniture instead of having to buy new.
While the idea of preserving the pieces you already have is right, there are many advantages to hiring a furniture medic to the job. It will save you time and stress, and you are guaranteed to get the results you are hoping for. Still, for those looking to restore or repair their furniture on their own, Walker suggests investing in some tools to make the project a little easier:
Sanders: You will need both an electrical sander and sandpaper that you use manually. Electrical sanders are great for covering large surfaces and stripping the original finish off the piece. There are five common types of sanders that range from extremely powerful to tame, so find the one that best fits your level of handiness and the job you are trying to complete. Using a sander that is too powerful is a surefire way to ruin a piece of furniture.
Nothing works better for getting into tight places or providing the perfect finish then using sandpaper and your hands. And, while you are unlikely to destroy a piece of furniture with swift hand movements, there are still a few guidelines for choosing the right sandpaper. You want to find the paper that has just the right amount of coarseness for your project. If you use paper that is too coarse, you will cause scratches that you will have to go over with a finer sandpaper later on in the process. But, if you use paper that is too thin, then your project could become too time-consuming.
Crayons: Wax crayons are great for touching up small nicks and dents, says Walker. If you aren’t looking for a perfect match between your fix up and the natural wood color, then these tools will work well. Plus, having two shades of dark brown will be less noticeable then having a dark brown table with a nick that shows the light brown unfinished wood underneath.
Experience: It can’t fit in a tool box, but experience and knowledge of the task you are tackling is key to wood restoration and repairs. If you are a perfectionist, then you will want to study color theory so that you can properly mix colors to form the shades you are going to need. You will also need to master the steps of restoring or refinishing wood, from sanding, staining and sealing to color correction techniques.
If you start to have second thoughts about doing the project yourself, you are displeased with the results, or the furniture has mold, loose joints or water stains, then don’t hesitate to call your local furniture repair and restoration company. The specialists will be able to rectify the problem and return your newly restored piece to you.
