A refinishing can give your furnishings a fresh look.
Artful millwork deserves good care to preserve its natural beauty and detail for years to come. You can breathe new life into your wood furnishings by giving it a fresh refinishing. Whether it’s a quick cleaning or a complete strip down, old wood furnishings can always be remedied.
Remove the Finish
Before you can go about refinishing your furniture you need to remove the old finish. Removing old finish can be cumbersome and messy, but have patience. You can use sanding, chemical strippers or a heat gun to remove old paint and varnish. Sanding with a belt or disk sander can quickly remove old finish, but you must be careful not to ruin the wood by sanding too deeply. Round or decoratively curved areas of your furnishings may also be more difficult to sand properly. Chemical strippers are an easier and more common method, but some sanding may still be required. A heat gun is best for particularly stubborn finish.
Fill the Grain
Once you’ve finished removing the old finish from your wood you may need to fill the grain. Woods like oak and mahogany must have their grains filled to achieve a smooth, even finish. You can emphasize your wood’s grain by selecting a color that contrasts with the wood’s natural color. Use a rage or stiff paint brush to apply the grain filler. Remove any excess filler with a plastic scraper or rounded-edge knife. Be careful not to damage the wood when removing excess filler, and ensure that the filler dries completely.
Apply Sanding Sealer
Apply a heavy coat of sanding sealer to your project. Sanding sealer reduces the tendency of the wood to absorb stains unevenly and prevents the wood from absorbing too much stain. Allow your sanding sealer to soak in the wood for a few minutes before wiping excess sealer with a rag.
Stain the Wood
Refinished furniture will need to be stained to achieve the color your desire. There are a variety of stains and dyes that can be used so doing some research beforehand can be helpful. Always follow your manufacturer’s recommendations for products.
Finish the Wood
There are a lot of finishes to choose from. Oil finishes will offer a more soft, natural appearance and lacquer finishes will afford greater protection. Polyurethane finishes can also provide a durable finish with a wide range of sheens. When applying your finish use a brush with long, even strokes overlapping at the edges.
Get Professional Refinishing and Millwork with Mahogany Inc.
Mahogany, Inc. is a general contractor specializing in quality construction for projects across a wide range of industries. Located in southwest Baltimore, we employ 100 persons, and are one of the largest minority-owned businesses in the state of Maryland. If you are looking for custom millwork or other amazing wooden installations, then check out our website! Make sure to check back with our blog every week and find us on social media for important updates!