What Does it Mean to ‘Refinish’ Furniture?
Refinishing furniture is typically done to improve or restore an object. In addition, the restorer or artisan may even aim to achieve a renewed finish. In Britain, refinishing is also known as “repolishing,” when it is just about woodwork or wooden furniture.
In context of furniture, “refinishing” refers to applying a protective coating to a furniture item that has lost its original or previous protective layer. A typical furniture refinishing involves sanding, staining, sealing, and application of protective layers.
There can be two approaches to furniture refinishing: to sand down everything unwanted and apply new finish until the piece of furniture looks completely new, or to clean just the unwanted things and keep with the remaining good.
5 Benefits of Refinishing Furniture
Just Because You Love It
When you have a piece of furniture in your home for so many years, you become used to see it every day. Watching a beloved piece deteriorate over a period of time becomes hard to witness.
People often have sentimental values attached to a certain piece of furniture, especially the antique ones and something that has been passed on for generations. Restoring and refinishing sentimental pieces saves them for continued use and enjoyment.
They Don’t Make It the Way They Used To
Modern furniture pieces are not of the same quality as the old furniture pieces. The quality has deteriorated over the past several decades, and the highest quality wood is not used anymore except for very specific (and expensive) applications.
The inexpensive plywood used today does not last for many years, thus warranting the need to refinish old furniture, which helps furniture lasts longer. Consider restoring antique, high-quality pieces for resale as a cottage business.
Environment Benefits of Furniture Restoration
Due to the energy intensity of furniture-making, it produces much more carbon dioxide emissions to create new furniture pieces than to restore the old furniture. Compounded by issues of deforestation and land degradation, refinishing old furniture keeps trees standing.
Avoid Extra Investments and Cost
Refinishing furniture helps give a new look to your home at less additional costs – usually much lower than what purchasing new furniture demands.
Restoring and refinishing hidden furniture gems can be an inexpensive, but effective way to update a home.
Maintain the Pristine Condition of Your Furniture
Furniture refinishing can help make damaged, worn-out pieces with bumps and scrapes pristine again. In addition, it helps antique pieces of furniture regain their value. It can also be used as a tool to match the other things that you have in the room.
For example, furniture reupholstery can be used to replace old fabric with a new that matches the interiors of the room. It can also be used as a technique to improve the functionality of a piece.
Nicholes Ammons is a veteran in furniture refinishing and a connoisseur when it comes to picking the right kind of furniture for use. He has extensively studied furniture over the significant time he’s spent working at Austin Furniture Repair as a Production Worker. Now, he’s using the time and knowledge he’s acquired to learn even more through writing about the same.
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