DIY furniture repair

The topic of today's article is DIY furniture repair. At the very beginning, it must be said that the restoration of old pieces of furniture is necessary only in one case - if it is of high quality. To restore a miserable table from chipboard from dubious manufacturers is a waste of time and energy. At the same time, an elegant old thing, on which time has left its ruthless imprint, under the skillful hands of a master, can turn into a real work of art that will delight you for many years and will serve more than one generation.

to contents ↑

Repair of wooden furniture - a set of necessary tools

Here are the tools that are needed in the arsenal of a home master to tidy up rare furniture:

• Spatulas - metal and plastic.
• Furniture scraper.
• Steel sponge for removing paint and varnish.
• A wash to dissolve the old paintwork.
• Paint rollers and brushes.
• Paint.
• Varnishes of different types.
• Hammer.
• Clamps.
• Screwdriver Set.
• Self-tapping screws, staples, nails.
• Primer on wood.
• Ruler, square, carpentry pencils, tape measure.
• Construction adhesive tape.
• Sandpaper with different grain sizes.

to contents ↑

DIY furniture repair: possible options

Let's start with the simplest - small cosmetic defects.

Italians have an interesting custom, according to which, before the New Year holidays, old furniture flies through the windows. People, as it were, begin life with a clean slate, free from junk and all kinds of junk. Of course, modern Italians are more than practical people, so they do nothing of the kind.

People living in the post-Soviet space are accustomed to relate to things much more reverently. Men (and not only!) Masterfully repair rickety stools, cabinets with fallen off doors and lame chairs, and so that the outdated thing serves for a long time.

A real restoration of furniture is not just a banal fix, but also the return of a thing of its former luxury and gloss. It is clear that this applies to solid things worked by talented craftsmen, as they say, “for centuries”. Consider how to deal with various defects on wooden furniture.

Scuffs and Scratches

This is the simplest case of furniture restoration. The easiest way to deal with such defects. If the interior item (cabinet, table) was heavily exploited, then such defects are more than natural. Special pencils and retouching markers can eliminate the defect in just a few minutes. You can buy such a miracle in a hardware store or order in an online store.

There are such varieties of this product:

• Markers are devices for retouching defects on surfaces made of wood, laminate or synthetics. The toner contains enamel in different shades. It is resistant to moisture, detergents, does not require additional use of furniture varnish. There are several color variations of the markers. By mixing several colors with each other, you can achieve the desired shade.
• Alcohol-based retouching pencils. They are used for tinting wood surfaces. At the same time, the wood texture remains visible. The toner of the pencil contains an alcohol-based stain.The stain is not very resistant to external influences, so you need to cover the restored surface with varnish.
• Textural retouching pencil. It allows you to draw the texture of the tree to the smallest detail. An unusually thin rod allows you to paint over the smallest defects in hard-to-reach places. After the surface is treated with a pencil, you need to cover it with varnish or wax.

Chips and deep scratches

Furniture wax helps to cope with small chips and deep scratches. This product is sold in a wide variety of forms: from transparent soft products to colored hard samples. To apply the wax to the surface, it is preheated, then the softened wax is rubbed into the defect. How to restore old furniture using wax?

If you use transparent wax to eliminate the defect, the surface is pre-treated with enamel or a tinting agent. It is easier to eliminate one small defect than to expect until they accumulate so much that you have to spend several days on furniture restoration.

Important! It is advisable to purchase a transparent wax if you have antique furniture. Wax is not too expensive, and working with it is quite pleasant and uncomplicated.

If the furniture has large chips and dents, wax will not help. Will have to purchase putty on wood. You can buy it at any building materials store, if you choose the right option for the shade.

The rules for using such a DIY furniture repair tool:

• Putty is applied very carefully, in several layers.
• Before applying the next coat, the previous coat must be completely dry.
• After the dent is completely leveled, you need to treat the place with sandpaper, wipe with a rag and apply varnish.

Stains

Ugly muddy spots appear on polished furniture. This is especially true for coffee tables with traces of wine, oil, coffee, etc. The most difficult case is when stains are of unknown origin, and already used furniture was purchased “with hands”. To eliminate stains, gasoline is suitable. Furniture restoration is carried out in the following order:

1. Dampen a rag in gasoline and rub the stain.
2. If the stain remains after processing, repeat the operation several times until the stain disappears.
3. Wipe the surface with a piece of cloth.

You can restore the polished surface with a mixture of methylated spirit and linseed oil.

The polishing restoration algorithm is as follows:

1. Soak a piece of cloth or swab in alcohol, wipe the damaged area.
2. Repair damaged polish with a mixture of methylated spirit and linseed oil.

Important! With a large area of ​​damage, a mixture of alcohol and drying oils will help. Treat the surface with the compound until the damage disappears. Then wipe the reconstructed area with rags soaked in alcohol, followed by polishing with a cloth rag.

to contents ↑

How to restore old furniture completely?

If the furniture is damaged so that the polishing composition is not enough, you will have to start its full restoration. In this case, if everything is done correctly, a plain old thing will become a real highlight of the interior.

How to remove old varnish?

To remove the varnish from the surface, you need to purchase a special washing composition.

Important! If the product is made of precious wood (oak, cedar), then an emulsion washing composition is used. It contains a minimum of toxic substances and can not damage wood. In addition, such compositions are safe in terms of fire. This is especially important if you carry out restoration work in the apartment.

Here are tips from cleaning professionals:

• Apply the wash to the surface with a flush brush and wait for the time indicated on the package. The old coating will be dissolved in one go.

Important! As a rule, washing dissolves nitrocellulose varnish in 20-30 minutes. With polyester varnish is a little more complicated.Have to wait 1.5 hours.

• Before removing the polyester coating, scratch the surface so that the wash penetrates into the depth faster and works evenly. Apply a grid with cells with a length of 1.5-2.0 cm.
• The consumption of flushing per square meter is 0.3-0.5 kg.
• After you have washed, cover the surface with waxed paper.
• After keeping the time in accordance with the instructions, remove the remaining paintwork with a spatula.

Disinfection

Furniture restoration is a rather lengthy process. After removal of the coating, furniture must be disinfected.

Important! If you neglect this step, after a short time the product will begin to deteriorate and dry up.

First you need to withstand it for a couple of days at room temperature. Next is the processing of furniture with special antifungal compounds. As a disinfectant, you can use:

• Sodium fluoride.
• Stain.
• Antifungal agent "Pentabos".
• The preparation “Drevotoks” helps from a wood-boring bug.

There are many other drugs that you can easily find for sale in hardware stores.

The main stages of disinfection:

1. Remove accessories and decor from the product.
2. Take out the fasteners. Use ethanol to remove any glue.
3. Treat the product with a stain.

Important! If you work with valuable species of wood - get a stain on the water. It contains the least toxic substances.

4. Treat rusted items on furniture with a special cleaning agent.

The order of finishing furniture:

• For staining, alkyd enamel or acrylic dye is used. Some masters prefer sprays, since they allow you to apply paint with a thin even layer, including in hard-to-reach places. To color the surface efficiently, you need to walk on it with a spray several times, waiting until the previous layer dries.
• Two-component epoxy glue is used for bonding structural parts. Both surfaces are lubricated with them and firmly compress them together. The thing is left for a day until the composition solidifies completely.

to contents ↑

Overview of restoration methods

These DIY furniture repair methods are widely used for self-restoration of interior items. Some of them are used in the furniture industry. Old dilapidated furniture turns into vintage masterpieces.

Painting

This is one of the simplest methods. Most often used acrylic dye. For varnished surfaces use automotive paints in spray cans.

Important! If your artistic abilities leave much to be desired, you can use stencils cut from cardboard.

Decoupage

This technology resembles a conventional application. You cut out your favorite drawings from paper, napkins, fabrics, stick to the surface, smooth and varnish.

Craquelure

This is an artificially aged surface using a special craquelure varnish. Drying, the varnish forms cracks on the surface, resembling the surface of antique furniture.

Important! The combination of varnish and paint of a contrasting color looks beautiful.

Veneering

Veneer is a thin sheet of natural wood. Unlike craquelure varnish, which artificially ages the surface, veneer creates the impression of new furniture.

As a rule, veneer is glued using PVA glue on a surface pre-treated with a primer. The veneer is ironed with a hot iron.

PVC film gluing

This is a cheap method of restoration, not without, however, and certain disadvantages. For example, it is difficult to stick a film on corners and folds. But if you perform the work carefully, the appearance of the updated furniture will be impressive.

Varnish and stain

Stain is the same paint for wood, with a high degree of transparency. It is sold in hardware stores. Several shades are available.You can choose the one that suits you the most. The furniture is primed, a stain is applied on top. After it dries, the surface is varnished.

to contents ↑

Stock footage

Independent restoration and repair of furniture is a complex and painstaking process, but the result is worth it. Old furniture will serve you for a long time. And her unusual design will make the interior unique.