Wood Furniture Restoration: Easy & Simple Hacks

Over time, the wood furniture sets get older and are on the verge of breaking down where buying whole new furniture would cost us a lot of money. Still, the restoration and repair of wood furniture can give the furniture its piece and bring it back to the way it was with a bit of attention.

There are reasons why the wood furniture gets affected with time, and sometimes it’s in lousy shape too early. But you don’t need to worry. Some repair hacks will give you a new life. The durability of furniture depends upon maintenance, given that the furniture in your home will be used frequently and will be exposed to many elements.

Therefore, it is essential to pay attention to the maintenance of the furniture to utilize it further. Furniture repair doesn’t only mean repairing it but also improving the quality.We have listed out some practical ways to repair wooden furniture and the common problems it faces over time:

Common Problems With The Wood Furniture

1) Shrinking And Swelling Of Wood Furniture:

Wood is hygroscopic, and they react to the moisture content of air by absorbing or releasing water vapour.Heat treatment is a helpful method to reduce the hygroscopicity of wood. Other wooden furniture should be treated with water repellents under high moist conditions. This ability is imparted by wax coating and oil (linseed or tung oil).

2) Prevent Deterioration Of Wood:

Decay is degradation caused by various fungi capable of breaking down structural components of wood for food. It includes molds and mildews, which are everywhere in the environment. However, they may stain the wood furniture, and some can destroy it.

There’s no point can eradicate fungal attacks. Still, we can prevent further destruction by suitable paints and varnishes as insects and fungi die, not to penetrate paints and varnishes to consume wood or simply wipe or vacuum the surface.

3) Prevent Dulling Of Wood:

A layer of dust on the wooden surface dulls it down. The most straightforward process is cleaning and dusting. Try using an oil-based cleaner or a mixture of olive oil and white vinegar. It seems effective in restoring the lustre and cleaning it with a dry cloth afterwards.

4) Scratches And Fixes:

Over time there will be scratches where the wood furniture would lose its colour and its texture. But it can be fixed by following some simple steps.Buffing the scratch with steel wool to create flat surfaces and wiping the dusty and scratched parts with mineral spirits helps further remove the dust.

And then giving the final touches with the chosen crayons to match the wood’s colour and using stain pens to match the grain pattern and repair the area.

5) The Uneven Legs:

One of the prevalent issues faced is the uneven legs of the table, which is very common in every household. A table will not even give you a terrible time, from having your meals to writing down notes, but the solution is very simple. Measure the gap between the shortest table leg and the floor itself.

Once you have that information, you should get a glide you can nail on the end of the uneven table leg, and your table will get even once you drill a hole and get the gap secured.

6) Faded color:

Within a certain period, the color of the furniture fades away, giving it a dull look where the paints fade away but choosing the right paint would give the furniture the longevity it needs.

Acrylic paint – It adds new life to your old furniture. It is one of the most durable paints, giving your old furniture a new and fresh look.

These are some of the common issues faced and the remedies which can be used for the Restoration and Repair of wood furniture.

BASIC TOOLS REQUIRED FOR WOOD FURNITURE RESTORATION

Here are some given tools recommended to cover the repair and restoration process.

As furniture repair jobs are for hand tools, certain tools will help you lessen the burden and make your work faster and easier.

Some of the primary tools are

Scrapers- Putty knife, pull scraper, pull scraper blade, rubber spatula
Hammers- Claw hammer, ball-peen hammer, rubber or wooden mallet.
Measuring tool- combination square, steel ruler(24inches), bradawl or ice pick, utility knife with blade assortment
Screwdrivers: A four-piece assortment of standard slot screwdrivers and Phillips-head screwdrivers will handle most screw driving and drawing jobs furniture repairers/refinishers will need.
Drills: Hand-crank drill and variable-speed electric drill; an assortment of drill bits and countersinks; screwdriver attachment.
GlueInjector: The glue injector used to force glue into loose furniture joints looks and works like a hypodermic syringe. It can save a lot of time and trouble when making joint repairs.
PaintBrushes: use only good-quality natural-bristle brushes. Brush requirements will vary from project to project, but for most pieces of furniture, 2- to 3-inch brushes are the best.

CONCLUSION

As you have seen, this article speaks about the common issues faced in wood furniture and gives some of the common issues and challenges usually faced along with the solutions. There are several proven methods for furniture refinishing. Choosing the right one depends primarily on one’s expectations.

Making your wood furniture repairs at your home and maintaining it gives a plus point to the home’s decor, and knowing the problem of the standard issue and essential solutions to it will benefit you in the long run. And these repairs are worth your time and effort, especially as its part of your daily life and your antiques are therefore near and dear to you.

FAQS

What are the benefits of repairing furniture?

By repairing and restoration of furniture, we won’t lose its value in the process of giving it a new life and creating a new style without spending a higher amount of money.

Will the broken chair be strong as a new one repaired?

Yes, sometimes, it becomes better than the original ones.

Do you think repairing the old furniture is a good idea?

Yes, indeed. Instead of spending a fortune on a new one, it’s better to repair the old ones with a new look. Moreover making new furniture leads to 1000 times more carbon dioxide emission.