Restoring wooden furniture is not an easy task; Many times, when observing the worn surface of said piece of furniture, we realize that painting it again would not really allow us to regain its beauty. In these cases, it is best to learn how to strip it, since it is the only process capable of giving life to that piece of furniture that you think has no solution. If you do not know how to strip a piece of furniture, do not miss the explanation. Take note of this simple step by step!
Whether you are wondering how to strip a vintage-style piece of furniture or whether it is a really old piece, you should start by analyzing the piece of furniture and getting to know its details better in order to offer you the best possible renovation. In this step, you should remove the handles of the furniture if you think that they can hinder you and check if the furniture you want to recover has a wax or varnish finish.
To make this diagnosis, you will have to rub a small part of the furniture with a cotton swab dipped in burning alcohol. If the cotton changes color immediately, it means it is waxed; If, on the contrary, it only shows a little embedded dirt from the cabinet, it means that it is varnished.
Depending on whether the furniture is waxed or varnished, it will be better to use one product or another. If it is waxed furniture, it will be enough to rub it with a deicer, while if the finish is varnish or paint, you will need a chemical stripper.
You already know that your furniture is varnished and that the surface looks old and worn, so the time has come to discover how to strip a piece of furniture at home. The first option we offer you is to use chemical products; It is a fast and effective process that requires some protection on your part since they are very aggressive products. So, get a stripper (preferably gel so that it does not drip) and use gloves, glasses and a mask.
It is a more tired and slower option, but if you do not have chemicals on hand, you may be more interested in this process. To work comfortably, sit in an open and ventilated space and place the newspaper on the floor to later pick up without problems.
If you are interested in other alternatives to learn how to strip a piece of furniture, an orbital sander is fantastic to save time. With it, you can get rid of irregularities in the wood with a higher level of professionalism since the orbital sander is a specialist in polishing finishes.
To sand with this appliance, you must read the instructions for use in detail. It is also essential to operate this device in open and ventilated spaces, preferably outdoors. Then follow these easy steps:
The hot air gun allows a piece of furniture to melt the paint to strip it. However, it is a solvent method that must be applied with great care, since high temperatures can damage the wood. Please note that this method only works on furniture covered by thick layers of paint or varnish. In a style cabinet, the hot air gun would only spoil the wood.
Once you finish peeling the furniture, it is necessary to clean the surface to finish removing all the remains of varnish and dust. For this, you will only need cotton thread soaked in alcohol, a perfect product to neutralize wood.
On the other hand, the primer process is essential to prepare the wood before painting it. This technique consists of applying a fixative on the surface of the wood so that, when painting, the paint adheres better to the furniture. This is how you should prime if you are wondering how to professionally strip wooden furniture:
If you prefer to varnish your furniture, you only have to find the shade you prefer (depending on the one you choose, the wood will change more or less color).
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