How to Refinish Outdoor Wood Furniture

Refinishing Outdoor Wood Furniture

Outdoor article of furniture adds functionality and comfort to any outdoor area and turns information technology into a groovy place to socialize, relax, and enjoy fresh air and natural beauty. Wood furniture, in detail, makes the best improver to an outdoor infinite – it is a natural product that blends in with the surroundings and brings a lot of charm and warmth to the ambience.

However beautiful and comfy outdoor wooden piece of furniture may be though, it is probable to lose much of its appeal inside simply a couple of years out in the elements. Pelting, snow, ice, intense sunlight, extreme heat and freezing cold take a big toll on outdoor furniture, marring its surface and stealing its luster. Yet, you don't need to supercede your wood patio table or demote simply considering information technology is sun-bleached or a bit grimy – every bit long as a furniture piece is in good structural shape, you can hands restore its beauty and shine. All you need to do is refinish your weathered slice.

Refinishing outdoor wood furniture may seem like a daunting task, but it is not as difficult as information technology sounds. Yous just need to know how to restore weathered wood piece of furniture the right way:

Clean the Piece of furniture Well

First things first, you need to requite your outdoor furniture piece a thorough cleaning:

Brand a 50/l mixture of dish soap and water and utilise a soft bristle brush to scrub the woods surface clean;
Rinse thoroughly with clear water;
If in that location are whatsoever stains remaining on the wood surface, use a specialized wood cleaner to remove them and rinse once again;
Let the furniture dry completely earlier proceeding.

It is as well a good idea to hose downward the furniture with a ability washer or high pressure hose – this volition remove not merely dirt and debris, simply flaking pigment besides.

Remove the Old Finish

In gild to refinish outdoor forest furniture, yous demand to remove its old finish showtime. Since outdoor pieces are exposed to the elements, their finish is often loosened and relatively easy to remove:

one) Strip the furniture. Yous can easily remove any flaking and loose paint or varnish by hosing down your piece of furniture piece. So, you lot tin simply scrape the residuum of the old finish off with a paint scraper. To completely strip the furniture and ensure a smooth and even surface, however, y'all volition need a chemical stripper:

Choose an appropriate forest stripper. You may want to utilize a thicker formula – a gel or paste equally liquid strippers will run if applied to vertical surfaces. Information technology is also advisable to opt for a product that is marked every bit "no cleanup" or "volition wash away with h2o" – otherwise, you lot may need to employ a lacquer thinner to remove the leftover residual from the chemical stripper. Keep in listen though that: ane) "no cleanup" strippers may all the same leave a rest that will have to be sanded away and two) although any rest from "washable" strippers can exist removed by rinsing with h2o, the water may raise the grain of the wood, so that sanding volition still be necessary;
Use a medium-sized castor to apply a thick coat of the stripper evenly over the article of furniture surface;
Let it soak for about half an hour, then that the stripper can soften and loosen the cease;
Work with a round-edged putty knife or a plastic scraper to remove as much of the pigment and varnish as possible (be careful non to gouge the wood). Use a soft contumely brush to get into grooves and crevices;
Follow up with medium course steel wool, soaked in the stripper – this will help you easily remove whatever stubborn spots;
When the former finish is entirely gone, clean the stripper from the wood (if necessary);
Allow the slice to dry completely.

2) Sand the forest. Sanding volition assure an fifty-fifty surface that will properly accept the new end. Start with 120-dust sandpaper to remove any remaining finish and fifty-fifty out imperfections in the wood, and then smooth the whole piece down with 220-grit sandpaper. Alternatively, you can work with an orbital sander and use sandpaper merely for difficult to reach areas. Either way, make certain you lot sand along the grain of the wood and exist careful not to sand too deeply and damage your furniture. When ready, wipe all the surfaces with a tack cloth to clean off any dust from the sanding.

Good to remember:

Make whatsoever necessary repairs before sanding and staining the furniture. Besides, make sure you fix whatsoever cracks or holes (utilize wood filler) to produce a polish surface as even small dents and cracks volition testify up clearly when the new end is applied;
Take safety precautions – Refinishing wood piece of furniture is a messy job that may nowadays considerable health hazards unless you have advisable precautionary measures. You're advised to work in a well-ventilated area, such as an open garage or a patio, and article of clothing rubber gloves, safety spectacles, and a dust mask to protect yourself from harmful chemicals, noxious fumes, dust, flying debris, and other risks. Never work about an open flame as stains and stripping chemicals can easily ignite. Likewise, don't forget to put large driblet material or tarp on the floor of your work surface area and cover any nearby items to prevent stains and facilitate cleaning subsequently the job is complete.

Stain the Article of furniture

Staining outdoor forest article of furniture is an heady process that allows for a lot of creativity and personalization – you will not just bring your weathered pieces back to life, but will be able to transform them into cute works of art that perfectly match your personal mode and overall exterior décor. Just make certain yous use an appropriate outdoor furniture stain and piece of work carefully and patiently:

Prime number the surfaces, so that the paint adheres more uniformly and lasts longer;
Test the pigment on a small, inconspicuous area of the furniture to see how it looks;
Use a thin, fifty-fifty coat of stain all over the surfaces – employ a foam roller or a staining pad for flat surfaces and a paintbrush for edges and corners;
Wipe off any excess pigment with a clean cloth and permit the stain dry out for the recommended period of time;
Lightly sand the furniture to remove any residue from the paint and polish the surfaces;
Wipe with a tack material to remove whatever dust or droppings;
Repeat the process equally necessary – you may need to utilize multiple layers until yous become the desired effect. Just make sure you await for the paint to dry completely earlier applying the next coat and lightly sand the forest between coats.

Seal the Paint

The final step in your outdoor wood article of furniture refinishing projection is to protect the paint from the elements. When the final coat of stain is fully dry, wipe the furniture surfaces clean, and apply a thin layer of appropriate outdoor sealant. Look for it to dry, sand the furniture with fine-grit sandpaper to make the surface smoother, remove any dust from the sanding with a new tack material, and apply a last layer of sealant to ensure the best possible protection to your furniture.

Allow the wood cure for a couple of days earlier putting your refinished furniture back to employ. Exercise non leave wet and freshly finished patio furniture outside to dry out though – clay and droppings from the air may settle into the new piece of furniture paint and result in unsightly specks. To prevent this, you need to go along your repainted furniture indoors – in a shed or garage – until information technology dries.

Bonus tips for refinishing outdoor forest furniture:

If yous don't want to repaint your outdoor wood article of furniture, you can simply sand abroad the sometime cease and utilise a articulate sealant on top – this will result in a charming weathered look and will keep your patio piece of furniture protected from the elements;
If you have teak patio article of furniture, y'all can easily restore its color and luster past rubbing it with teak oil (afterwards it has been thoroughly cleaned). You can also sand the piece to remove the night patina, strip the worn out outer layers of the piece of furniture, and reveal the gold-brown of the teak. Either way, it is a good idea to use a teak sealant to protect the forest from weathering.

Now that you know how to refinish outdoor wood piece of furniture, you can decide if you're up to the job or not – it's very satisfying to bring your weathered pieces back to life yourself, merely the process is laborious and time-consuming. It tin be very complex as well, especially if your patio piece of furniture is more intricate or has sustained some kind of damage.

Wood article of furniture repair is meliorate left to the professionals. At Furniture Medic by MasterCare Experts, we have the specialized equipment, rich experience, and technical know-how to complete the job in the safest, fastest, and about efficient way possible. And then, if you're in need of forest article of furniture restoration in the Carol Stream, IL expanse, do not hesitate to call u.s.a. – our skilled craftsmen volition finer restore the natural beauty and forcefulness of your worn out pieces.

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