Cabinet refinishing is the process of reapplying wood finishing on a piece of furniture. It is a great way to restore old pieces of furniture that are too worn out. The objective of refinishing is to create a renewed finish by applying paint, wood finish, varnish or lacquer. Both modern and traditional finishes are used.
Refinishing is almost always undertaken with the objective of salvaging old furniture. Sometimes, refinishing is also done to make a piece appear older than it really is.
Of course, the first step is to choose the right piece. Make sure that you hire a professional to refinish valuable antiques. As this job requires expert skills, you will end up devaluing the furniture if you don’t do it carefully.
Only a piece of furniture made from sturdy wood can be refinished. Pieces made from particle board or fine wood are not good candidates for refinishing. The furniture should have smooth faces. If it has intricate carvings, it is best to hire a professional.
Make sure that the piece does not have multiple coats of paint.
If the piece is painted, the restorer will first strip the paint using a paint stripper. And then a thinner finish stripper is used to strip the varnish finish. Before the work begins, you have to decide how the refinished piece should look. Do you want to expose the natural wood?
You will need the following things to get the refinishing done. If you are working indoors, you will need a ventilator. You will also need goggles, chemical resistant aprons, sandpaper or a power sanding machine and wood stain.
The first thing that the restorer does is to remove the hinges, knobs, pulls and other metal hardware. The chemical substances used to strip the furniture may ruin these items.
Refinishing has to be done in a well-ventilated area because finish stripping chemicals and paint are highly toxic. Your garage is a good place to perform these sorts of activities. Or you can choose a spot outdoors. Basements aren’t suitable for this job because they are not ventilated enough. When the paint stripper is applied on the furniture, it will bond with the paint and separate it from the wood. The paint is then scrubbed away.
Since the stripping process can affect the look of the wood underneath, it is imperative that each part of the furniture gets the same treatment. If the furniture has several layers of paint, the restorer will have to strip the paint more than once. After removing the paint, the old finish is also removed. The furniture is then sanded using a sanding machine.
After sanding, wood stain is applied on the furniture. And then the restorer will apply the topcoat. When the topcoat has dried, a fine-grit sandpaper is used to sand the furniture evenly.
If you want to restore the glory of old furniture, you have to get the refinishing done by an experienced professional. You may attempt this job on your own, but you have to be extra careful.
If you would rather have the professionals handle your cabinet refinishing, contact Trends Wood Finishing in Oakville, ON. We provide a wide variety of Kitchen Cabinet services including custom cabinets, refinishing and resurfacing.
*Oakville / Burlington Ontario
