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Hardwood furniture, while being sturdy and durable, tends to lose its sheen after a period of 10 or 15 years. Apart from losing its aesthetic appeal, old furniture may also end up experiencing undesirable effects such as cracks. If your furniture displays signs of ageing and is losing its aesthetic appeal, it is time to restore it. With the right approach and tools, restoring old furniture can be a walk in the park. To help, in this post, we present a simple guide to help you restore old furniture pieces. Read on.
Before you start working on restoring old furniture, it is recommended to take the necessary safety precautions. First up, always wear protective gear such as eyewear, an outfit with long sleeves, and rubber gloves. Next, always work in a ventilated area, preferably outdoors - because restoring old furniture may involve applying adhesives and solutions that may contain gaseous compounds which shouldn’t be inhaled.
Read More: 4 Tips To Revive Your Furniture With Laminate Sheets
Always identify the existing surface finish on your old or antique furniture before performing any restoration work. While paint or enamel are easier to identify, natural finishes such as varnish or shellac may not be identifiable by sight, in which case you will have to use denatured alcohol to find out. If the finish comes off after applying alcohol, it most certainly will be shellac. In cases where denatured alcohol shows no effect, you may be dealing with a varnish finish.
In some instances, restoring old furniture may require simply cleaning it thoroughly. Oil-based commercial wood cleaners are a preferred cleaning agent to get rid of dirt or wax on the surface of furniture. If cleaning with a commercial wood cleaner doesn’t restore the lost lustre and appeal of wood, you may have to clean with a solution of liquid detergent and warm water. Remember to dry thoroughly with a soft cloth after cleaning with warm water to ensure that the furniture doesn’t suffer from water damage.
Most wood finishes, over time, tend to develop cracks or scratches. Such surface deformities spoil the good looks of wooden furniture. You can turn to a process called reamalgamation to fix the problem. All you have to do is apply a solvent - denatured alcohol for shellac and lacquer thinner for lacquer over surface blemishes such as cracks using a paint brush and wait for a few minutes to dry. Reamalgamation works best with shellac and lacquer finishes, but doesn’t work with varnishes.
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When thorough cleaning and reamalgamation do not help, you can consider refinishing old or antique furniture with laminate sheets. Known for their sturdy build, long life, and excellent resistance against external elements and abrasion, laminate sheets can be used to revive old furniture and impart a new look. Among the various types of laminate sheets for furniture, high pressure laminates are a popular choice owing to their high impact resistance and surface strength.
Wooden furniture, while being aesthetically appealing and charming, tends to deteriorate due to exposure to external elements such as moisture, sunlight, heat, and termites. Finishing old furniture with laminate sheets not only extends its lifespan but also imparts a refreshing look. NewMika is a premium manufacturer of decorative laminates in India that work well with all types of furniture. Explore our product catalogue to check out the available laminate sheets for furniture. If you have any questions or would like to discuss your requirements, call 1800 833 0004 or write to us at info@newmika.com, and we will take it from there.
