If you're starting out and recently inspired to take on your first restoration project, the Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County offers hands-on demonstrations on how to bring furniture back to life. Whether it is refinishing wood, adding new upholstery or repurposing pieces into something more useful, there are a few must haves that are essential in every DIY's toolkit.
Don't forget!
Sign up now for a hands-on demonstration to go over furniture restoration tips and and let ReStore show you how you can bring furniture back to life. To sign up, call 302-652-0365, x112. Can't wait to see you there!5 Essentials for your DIY Furniture Restoration
Supplies: According to Karin Beuerlein from DIYnetwork.com, being prepared with a few things closeby is a good idea. This includes: "Painter's tape, pencils, permanent markers, finishing nails, stirring sticks, disposable plastic cups (which solvents 'melt), household ammonia for brush cleaning, clean canning jars, old teaspoons and tablespoons and yellow wood glue." You never know when you might need to reach for one of these in the middle of your project.Enough time: It is important to remember that time is money and the bigger the project, the more time you’ll need to spend. Are you willing to block out a few weekends or take a couple hours off each day? A small side project can quickly spin out of control, so take the time to inspect the furniture and decide how easy or difficult it will be to remove any finishes. Senneboggen and Jaracz point out that, "Deep carvings can take many hours to strip and refinish. Slats and spindles are not easy to redo. If you have to remove rust, that step alone can take days of work."
Can't live without strippers & sanders: Removing old finish is a tough job if you make the mistake of having one without the other. They are difficult to remove with steel wool or sandpaper alone. Brushing a coat of thinned or watered down stripper repeatedly over furniture prior to sanding is an effortless way to bring out the natural wood. It’s a process that takes practice. eHow has one of the better videos that goes over this process step by step.
Make safety first: Make a checklist that involves taking precautions against the harmful fumes and chemicals in paint thinners and stains. This includes working in a well-ventilated area, having room to maneuver, wearing protective eyewear, a respirator for paint dust, a tarp cover to protect the ground, and clothes with long sleeves to help protect your skin from harsh chemicals that may splash or spill.
Snapshots: Like you, there are up and coming DIYs eager to learn and gain new ideas about how to restore furniture. Have a camera handy to snap before & after photos of your project. You can reveal so much with this type of compare and contrast without having to say a word.
DIY restoration is time consuming, especially for regular worker. But the result is very nice for me.