Do you have an old piece of furniture that you want to refinish? Refinishing furniture will bring the piece back to life. When the wooden piece of furniture has chipped, is worn, is stained and other flaws, they can be restored. Refinishing furniture can take a bit of work but in the end it is well worth the effort. If you have never refinished a wooden piece of furniture and want to know the process, L.W. Winslow Painting, Inc will share the steps it takes to properly refinish wooden furniture.

What Do You Need to Refinish a Piece of Furniture?

Any project will go much smoother when you have all of your tools and materials ready. When refinishing a wooden piece of furniture, the project will tend to be a bit messy. So, not only will you want the right tools and materials to refinished the furniture, but the right equipment to help keep the work site clean. When refinishing furniture here is a general list of tools and materials you will want to have before you begin the project.

• Rags, Painting Brushes and or Paint Rollers, Scraper
• Stripper, Sealant, the Stain, Varnish, or Paint
• Dish Soap, Bucket, Trap, Rubber Gloves, Eye Protection
• Sanding Paper, Sanding Block or Electric Sander
• Shop Vacuum if Possible

Start Refurbishing Furniture By Cleaning

You will want to start by cleaning the piece of furniture thoroughly. Fill up your bucket with water and add a few drop of dish soap. Using a rag, clean off as much of the grime as possible. Once the furniture is clean and dry, you will want to remove the stain or paint that is on the furniture. This is where you will apply the stripper to the surface of the wood. Make sure to wear gloves and eye protection when applying the stripper. Allow the stripper to sit on the surface for 20 minutes. If the stripper causes the paint or stain to peel or chip, use a scraper tool such as a putty knife and remove the loose pieces. Use your shop vacuum to suck up the loose pieces.

Refinish Furniture with Sanding

The next step is where much of the work begins, and that is sanding! You will want to begin sanding down the wood. An electric sander will make this process much easier. When sanding, always go in the same direction as the wood grain. A sanding block or paper is handy to have for those smaller or tighter spaces. Use the shop vacuum to help clean up the saw dust as you sand. You will sand down the surface three times. The first time you will sand with a lower grit sand paper. The next time you will use a finer grit sand paper, and the third time you sand you will use an extremely fine or high number grit sand paper to ensure the wood’s surface is smooth.

Seal & Paint or Stain Bare Wood Furniture           

Make sure the site is clean and the furniture is placed over a paint cloth or plastic tarp. You will then apply the sanding sealant which will help ensure the paint and or stain, when applied to the furniture, comes out evenly. Once the sealant is dry you can begin staining or painting the furniture. Once the paint or stain is dry you will want to put a final layer of varnish to ensure the furniture is protected and looks great.

Interior & Exterior Painting & More in Amagansett, Bridgehampton, East Hampton, Hampton Bays, Montauk, North Haven, North Sea, Noyack, Shelter Island, Sag Harbor, Shinnecock Hills, Southampton, Springs, Water Mill, Westhampton & Westhampton Beach, New York

This is the basic process of refinishing furniture. However, there is a lot of time and skill to ensure the project comes out right. If you want a professional touch, L.W. Winslow Painting, Inc can help. We provide furniture refinishing services and more. To schedule our services contact L.W. Winslow Painting, Inc today!