How to restore old furniture yourself
Not everyone can afford to buy new furniture, since for this a considerable investment should be made. And lining old furniture with modern materials is expensive. So is there a solution to the problem if the furniture already requires replacement, but there is no money for it? Alternatively, try to breathe new life into old furniture by restoring it, using budget materials, and a little more of your time and imagination. As a result, your experiments and your imagination will become a real masterpiece, and only you will have such an interior.
In order to restore old furniture yourself, you should adhere to some rules and recommendations.
Preparation of furniture for restoration
Restoration, like every mechanical process, requires some preparation. Before finishing the furniture, you should carefully prepare the surface, which can be made of wood, leather, leatherette, fabric. As a rule, the basis of furniture is wooden; special attention should be paid to it.
You should adhere to the rules for preparing furniture for decoration in the following sequence:
Inspect the surface of the furniture, revealing major defects and damage, as well as minor scratches.
Wash contaminated surface with warm water or detergents, dry the surface.
Disassemble the furniture as much as possible. For example, if you are restoring the legs of the table, then they should be disconnected from the countertop, so it will be more convenient for you, and you will not stain the remaining unused parts.
If your involved and free parts are connected in such a way that they cannot be disassembled, then in this case it is necessary to seal unused parts with tape and tape. It is recommended to use adhesive tape for painting, which leaves no residue and does not peel off the surface.
Particular attention should be paid to soft details. The old upholstery should be removed carefully to the maximum, so that from it, as from the workpiece, then make a pattern for upholstery from a new material. The packing can also be removed and replaced with a new one.
How to remove the polishing layer
Before you begin to remove polishing, you must first be prepared:
a special fluid that is used to remove it,
emery (coarse fraction),
metal wool
putty knife,
brush, preferably made of natural materials,
napkins.
Attention! Two types of compositions are used to remove furniture polish: thick (for straight surfaces) and liquid (for hard-to-reach problem surfaces).
If you use a thick composition to remove polishing, then do this in the following sequence:
The composition for polishing should be placed in a container so that the brush passes freely, it can be a bowl, a bottle with a wide neck. Using a brush, apply a thick layer of the mixture to the wood surface. For uniformity, you need to apply the mixture constantly in the same direction.
Wait a certain time, which is indicated in the instructions of the product. Carefully remove the softened top coat with a spatula. If part of the polishing remains, it is recommended to repeat the procedure again. If it is physically difficult to reach with a spatula, use an old toothbrush.
To get rid of polishing waste, as well as polishing mixture, apply metal wool to the surface and then wipe with a paper towel.
Clean up with sandpaper.
Important! It is necessary to adhere to safety precautions. Restoration work should be carried out in ventilated rooms. To protect the skin of the hands, rubber gloves are used, and a respirator is used to protect the lungs.
How to remove warp and damage
After removing the polishing material, it is possible that damage and deformations, such as cracks, scratches, can be detected on the surface. They should be eliminated as follows:
Coat the cracks with soft wax, carefully rubbing it into the surface. Use a shade of a suitable color.
In order to eliminate cleavage, as well as deep gaps, use a putty for wood: apply it with a spatula, smooth its surface, leave it for 24 hours until it dries completely. You can use a water-based filler solution, or a polyester base.
Primer the surface to strengthen it, then you can apply varnish or paint.
How to restore an old chest of drawers
If you decide to restore the chest of drawers, then you need to prepare the following materials: sandpaper, goggles, air respirator, screwdriver, brushes, paints, rags.
Stick to technology:
Disassemble the chest of drawers.
Scrape off the old varnish with sandpaper or grinder, if there is a specialized nozzle.
Strip the surface of the chest of drawers, use fine emery, and you get a smooth appearance.
Wipe the chest with a damp towel, removing small debris.
After the working surface has dried, make a primer.
Paint the chest of drawers in the desired shade using enamel with gloss elements. Apply the paint evenly, make sure that there are no smudges. For better color saturation, repeat the dyeing after 24 hours. After drying, collect the chest of drawers, fix the fittings.
