How to Do it yourself refinishing wood mid-century present day home furnishings
Christine Blau
4 min read
When it’s feasible to Do-it-yourself
If watermarks are your only issue, Gendron indicates Mohawk’s Super Blush Retarder aerosol spray as a swift fix, contacting it “the market solution absolutely everyone who owns wooden furniture requires to know.”
Transfer your piece to a properly-ventilated area, this sort of as the garage, and utilize a couple mild coats of the spray to eliminate the white dampness marks — no added finishing required. Even though there are numerous tips and hacks out there for taking treatment of h2o rings, Kennedy advises staying away from “home therapies.”
If you have a piece with a a little failing complete (feel dull coloring and only the lightest scuffs and scratches), you could possibly not need to have a whole refinishing. In its place, attempt the “scuff and spray” process: Sand flippantly with a significant-grit sandpaper (at least 400 grit) or a inexperienced Scotch-Brite scour pad, then spray on a layer of experienced-quality lacquer. The professionals I spoke to endorse the aerosol products offered by Mohawk — a lot more on those under. Don’t forget to constantly function in a perfectly-ventilated space. “See how it appears,” Duffy reported. “If it will come out seeking cleaner, it’s flawlessly suitable to end there.”
If you can see bare wood or your piece has deep scratches, a lot of h2o stains or ink marks, you are going to have to have a full refinish. You will strip, sand and probably address shade with stain, glaze, toner or a mix of all three, ahead of ending with a number of coats of lacquer.
For the reason that each the stripping merchandise and the finishes are harsh, you’ll want a well-ventilated area for your undertaking — not just a place with the windows open, Duffy said. “When I say ‘well ventilated,’ I actually suggest nicely ventilated, like with a potent supporter,” she claimed. “And you nevertheless require a 3M respirator mask with P100 cartridges.” A garage is perfect, but a included porch or pop-up tent can perform. You will also need this space for a although: Kennedy estimates that a typical dresser will get a starter about 20 several hours to refinish.
To strip off the aged end, Duffy recommends a solution referred to as Stripwell QCS. Strippers by the Klean Strip manufacturer, she suggests, are also low-priced and helpful. Immediately after allowing the stripper to do its do the job, use a putty knife to scrape absent the residue. (In its how-to films, Stripwell endorses employing a plastic variation instead of steel as a precaution towards detrimental the veneer.)
Once you have removed the complete, follow the product’s instructions for cleansing the stripper from the wood, then allow it dry absolutely prior to sanding. Kennedy and Duffy each advise investing in a random orbital sander, a device created for extremely-easy sanding that prices fewer than $100. Just one of the most widespread errors beginners make is sanding as a result of veneer, so go slowly, the professionals say.
Now you are going to apply the new end to your piece. People today normally presume that all mid-century furniture was completed with teak oil, Kennedy reported, but most was finished with sprayed, toned lacquer. For that reason, you possible won’t want to use teak or Danish oil. “It’s like placing olive oil on a auto complete,” Duffy said, introducing that if you strip and sand a piece, then put teak oil on it, you haven’t truly set up a floor long lasting more than enough for each day use. When striving to realize a specific color with your new finish, she recommends practicing 1st on a spare piece of wooden. (If you’re uncertain which items are appropriate for your product, Kennedy offers cost-free information in his Facebook group the Mid Century Modern day Furniture Refinishing Useful resource.)
The execs I spoke to suggested staying away from the finishes readily available at hardware and big-box retailers in favor of experienced-quality alternatives. There are numerous brands, but for novices, they propose those by Mohawk, which offers a lot of of its solutions in aerosol format, so you won’t want to commit in a sprayer.
When implementing the finish, Duffy explained, “you need to have to make up five or six coats to make a definitely wonderful surface area that is strong adequate for each day use and will maintain the household furniture for another 50 or 60 a long time.” Let every single application dry in accordance to the deal directions in among coats, you’ll need to have to flippantly scuff the surface with higher-grit sandpaper.
