DIY wooden furniture restoration

Before talking about the methods of restoration of wooden furniture, I would like to clarify that this procedure is suitable only for quality products. In other words, if the master put the soul into it in the process of making things, then saving such an object is a matter of honor. Inhale the second life into a flimsy Chinese table from the chipboard will only be a waste of your time and effort. The magic of restoration is able to turn a thing crippled by time into an elegant work of art, which will delight several more generations of its owners.

"Cosmetic" defects

In Italy, there is an intelligent custom - on New Year's Eve, old things fly from the windows of houses: tables, chairs, vases, cabinets and even equipment. This tradition is rooted in the Middle Ages, when people believed that it was necessary to start a new life from a completely clean sheet, getting rid of all the collapse in the house. Modern Italians are more economical and rational, so today you can not be afraid that in the New Year you will fall off someone's stool. In the territory of the post -Soviet space, the situation is much more serious - people who are accustomed to live in a shortage are simply unable to get rid of their own old furniture. The resourceful craftsmen deftly repair the rickety cabinets, polish the scratched tables, and things regularly serve their owners for many years.

The restoration of old wooden furniture is not just a correction of defects, but a true transformation and return to the subject of former gloss and luxury. Naturally, this applies only to solid furniture made of valuable wood or beautiful carvings, the work of talented masters of the past or just things done on conscience.

Scratches and scuffs

With small “injuries” in the form of scuffs and shallow scratches on furniture, you can cope in two accounts. If the interior item was not used as an exhibit, but was used for its intended purpose, then such defects are completely natural - wiped corners of the chest of drawers, scratches on the countertop, etc.

In this case, special retouching markers and pencils are used for restoration, which simply paint defects. You can purchase them in specialized construction stores or order on the Internet.

Types of retouching markers and pencils:

• a retouching marker is a tool that allows you to eliminate small defects on the surfaces of wood, synthetics and laminate. The toner consists of an opaque rapidly dry enamel of various shades. It has good moisture resistance, is not afraid of detergents, and also does not require additional varnish. Retting markers are used in situations where it is necessary to hide the texture of wood. It is produced in various color variations that can be mixed with each other by applying color, achieving the most suitable shade;
  
• alcohol -based retireting pencil - designed to tint wooden surfaces. He leaves the visible texture, emphasizing its dignity and noble color. The toner is made on the basis of alcohol stain and does not contain toxic solvents that can greatly damage wood. Since the stain does not differ in resistance to external influences, tinted furniture is recommended to be covered with a protective layer of varnish. The most suitable option in this case is a varnish spray;
• the retouching texture pencil - allows you to skillfully draw the texture of the tree to the smallest detail. An unusually thin rod can gently paint over any scratches and exactly reproduce the texture of wood even in the most inaccessible places. A toner based on alcohol stain will become an effective antiseptic for “wounded” furniture. After the pencil dries, it is recommended to cover the treated place with varnish spray or wax.

Deep scratches and chips

Furniture wax effectively helps to cope with deep scratches and small chips. There are many varieties of wax, ranging from soft transparent means, ending with solid color samples. To apply the wax to the surface, it is necessary to first warm it up. Then rub the product into scratches or chips with smooth movements.

If you use transparent wax to restore wood furniture, then the damaged area must be painted with enamel or tinting varnish. If you have a valuable old furniture or just wooden things that you value, will be worthless to stock up on a jar of transparent wax. It is not so expensive, but working with it quickly and pleasant. In addition, it is better to always immediately eliminate the defect than to wait until they accumulate a whole “bouquet” in order to spend more than one day on restoration.

If there are deep chips or dents on the furniture, then the usual wax can not do - you will have to buy a wood putty. You can purchase it in almost any construction store, choosing an option suitable in cost and color. Apply a putty very carefully in several thin layers. Apply each subsequent layer only after the previous one has completely dried. When a chip or dent is bombed with the surface, and the defect will be eliminated, treat this place with fine sandpaper, wipe with a rag and cover a layer of varnish.

Spots

Very often, ugly spots are found on old polished furniture. This is especially true for kitchen furniture or coffee tables - traces of randomly spilled coffee or wine, stain from oil, etc. Most often, it is difficult to find out the origin of the spot, especially if you bought rare furniture from a jacket. In this case, gasoline will help you.

No, we will not burn stained furniture, but try to clean it. Gasoline is an excellent solvent for spots of unknown origin.

Cleaning stages:

1. Moisten a rag with gasoline and wipe the stain.
2. If after drying it still remains, repeat the operation and wipe the spot at certain intervals of time until it disappears.
3. Wipe the polished surface to a gloss with a cloth rag.
4. Restore impaired polishing by wiping the furniture with a mixture of linseed oil and denatured alcohol.

With stains from hot objects (teapots, ironing, pots, etc.), ordinary alcohol or vodka will help to cope.

Cleaning stages:

1. Moisten a swab or rag in alcohol and wipe the damaged place. If necessary, repeat the procedure several times, waiting until the alcohol dries.
2. Restore the polishing surface with a mixture of linseed oil and denatured alcohol.
3. With strong "burns" it is necessary to make a mixture of olifa and alcohol. Wipe the damaged area with the resulting composition until the spot disappears. Then wipe the place with clean alcohol and polish with a cloth rag.

Complete restoration of wood furniture

If the varnish and putty are not enough to restore its former beauty, it is necessary to start the complete restoration of wooden furniture with your own hands. In this case, the effect will be simply striking, and the nondescript collapse will become a real subject of the pride of its owner.

Removing the old paintwork

To get rid of the previous coating, whether it is varnish or paint, you need to purchase a special wash. As a rule, for the repair and restoration of furniture from oak, cedar and other valuable rocks, emulsion flurry is used. They are of weak toxicity and are not able to harm a tree. In addition, the risk of ignition of such compositions is close to zero, which is especially important if you work in your apartment.

Tips for working with washing:

1. Washing “Enjoy” the old coating at a time, just apply the composition to the surface with the help of a flute brush and wait for the right time (indicated on the packaging). Typically, to eliminate polyester varnish coating, you need to wait an hour and a half to two hours, and in the case of nitro-cellulose or alcohol varnish, you can proceed with cleaning 20-30 minutes after applying washing.
2. Before covering the polyester coating, it is recommended to scratch it so that the composition penetrates deeper and evenly. Nice a net with cells with a side of 15-20 mm.
3. The washing consumption is from 300 to 500 grams per square meter of the surface. After application, cover the furniture with paraffinated paper.
4. After the specified time, remove the remaining old paintwork with a conventional spatula and rinse the surface with a solvent.

It remains to dry the furniture for one and a half to two hours, and then sanded with sandpaper No. 5 or No. 6. When you brush the dust with a damp cloth, you can proceed to disinfection.

Disinfection

The restoration of furniture involves not only the renewal of the coating, but also a competent handling of the design. So, if a thing was dusting for a long time in the attic or balcony, if you bought it on the “flea market” in raw weather, in general, if the item has been in place with temperature and humidity drops for a long time, it needs to arrange a sparing adaptation period. If you immediately begin to skin and varnish such furniture, then after a while it can dry out (cracks will appear), and all your efforts will go around the drain. To prevent this from happening, the thing needs to be kept or two at room temperature. Imagine that you were sharply in a tropical country with an unusual climate. You will need time to adapt to new living conditions. In the same way, the furniture must be "recovering."

"Acclimatization" is the first stage of disinfection. When the furniture dried, you can accept it to strengthen and fight fungi. The fact that the fungi is available can not doubt. If the thing has been in the aforementioned places with an unstable climate and dubious sanitation for a long time, then there will certainly be pests inside it. Special antifungal drugs will help to get rid of them.

Foods for disinfection of wood at home:

• penthalorphenol;
• morilka;
• pentakhlorophenoal of sodium;
• "Tree" (from the beetle of the locker);
• sodium fluoride;
• antifungal drug "Pentabos".

There are many other drugs that you can buy in specialized construction stores.

To carry out high -quality disinfection, it is necessary to completely disassemble the furniture.

Stages of disinfection:

1. First, “secondary” parts are removed that do not affect the structure of the frame, then - accessories, decorative details (cornices, pilasters, etc.).
2. Fastards (nails, screws, screws) are removed, the remains of glue are removed. To easily remove the glue, you can pour it with a small amount of ethyl alcohol and wait a couple of minutes. Then the connection can easily be scattered and cleaned.
3. A proven disinfection is a stain. She kills harmful fungi and gives the tree a pleasant “warm” shade. Today you can find a stain for any "taste". If you work with a rare valuable wood species or are engaged in restoration of oak furniture, you can buy a water -based stain - it is the least toxic. For other cases, an alcohol stain is suitable.
4. If the furniture has rusted metal elements, treat them with a special cleaning solution. In this case, you can use purchased compositions or experiment (if the situation allows, and the funds do not allow) with Coca-Cola or Pepsi. As you know, these drinks do an excellent job of lime plaque and rust, just place the damaged thing in soda for several minutes, and then clean the goya or metal brush.
   
5. Dry disinfected wooden elements in the open air, but in no case under direct sunlight. Drying takes from 2 to 4 days.

Finish

For painting furniture, they mainly use acrylic or alkyd enamel. Some prefer sprays, as they allow you to apply paint with a thin uniform layer and even go into hard -to -reach places. For high-quality painting, you need to make two or three “sunset”, applying each subsequent layer after the previous one completely dry.

If you need to glue the structural elements, use two -component epoxy glue. Lubricate both surfaces, wait a couple of minutes and press tightly to each other. Leave the thing for a day until the composition is completely hardened.

Finally, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with an interesting video about the restoration of the old chair:

The restoration of furniture is a unique opportunity to express with his actions to express this thing, gratitude for his wonderful creation. This is magic available to many, and now you!