Beat the Winter Blues: refinish a table!

With the cold looming in most parts of the country as of this week, we’ve decided to help you beat the winter blues with some awesome creative things to do.

This week, we’ll focus on refinishing old furniture to increase the reselling price. Whether you like antique furniture or modern furniture, with a lot of patience and dedication, any item can look like you want it to look.

The buzz in furniture of late is antique furniture. Most of us have items around the house that need to be touched up or refinished. If you’re considering throwing it out, STOP! Below are a few tips on how to refinish a table to be used again or sold.

What you’ll need to refinish a table:

• Stripper
• Paint brushes
• Plastic scraper
• Steel wool
• Tack cloth
• Cheese cloth
• Paint

First things first, prepare the table:

1. Clean the table and remove the existing finish by wiping down the table with a damp cloth. This will help get rid of any dust or cobwebs before removing the existing finish.
2. Sand away the finish with heavier grid sandpaper (100 grit). Follow this with another sand with a 150-grit paper and then with a 220-grit to smooth the grain.
3. You can also use chemical strippers to remove an old finish. They are easy to use, but can be very messy. To use it, apply the stripper to the table with a paint brush and let it stand to loosen the finish. Use a plastic, non-metal, scraper to remove the stripper. You will need to perform this step more than once if the finish doesn’t come off the first time.
4. When most of the old finish had been removed, dip a piece of steel wool into the stripping solvent and rub the stripping solvent on the table, go with the grain of the wood to remove any old stubborn spots of finish.

Sand the table once more before coating:

1. Using a piece of medium of fine-grit sandpaper, go over the table in the direction of the wood grain.
2. Make sure that all rough or uneven spots are evened out. This will ensure an even look once the table is finished.
3. Remove all the wood dust left from the sanding with a tack cloth.

Stain or Paint the Table:

1. Use a paint brush to apply the stain evenly. Remove any excess stain immediately to ensure your table is evenly finished. After staining, use the cheese cloth to go over the table and absorb any excess stain. For a deeper finish, repeat this step.
2. If you want to paint the table, use a paint brush to apply two coats of paint. Make sure to remove any excess paint by using the paint brush. Let the table dry for several hours.

Apply a Clear Coat:

1. For stained tables, apply two to four coats of polyurethane or paste wax with a paint brush to protect the table.
2. Let the table dry for at least 24 hours.

Your item will now be ready to be introduced back into your home or to be advertised on Junk Mail. For a quick sale, show the table in a homely setting instead of where you fixed it up. Also load more than 2 photos to ensure interested parties can see your hard work and the beauty of the product.