How to Touch up Wood Furniture – Looking After Your Wooden Furniture
Wear and tear are the few irresistible facts that must live with your furniture. While they may keep the wood furniture from its original look. They tell a secret story regarding the value of the furniture. The daily use of wood furniture is a sure testimony that it will take more of hits from the wet glasses and dents among other encounters. The defects appear in different forms. Meanwhile, the repairs also exist in various approaches to meet every little scratch on that wood furniture.
In some cases, the whole wood furniture may display this undesirable yet compulsory feature. In other instances, the worn spot only covers a small section of the finish. This is where the DIY comes handy to uphold the beauty of wood furniture. The touch-up repairs play a significant role in reinstating the beauty of your wood furniture without being sweaty. The touch up will depend on various aspects of the scratches. The only good news about it all is that there are chances you’ll get it repaired and give it its best look without creating a hole in your bank account. Here are a few things you need to consider in getting your wood furniture out of the mess.
Recoating an Entire Finish
As a first step, ensure you properly clean the surface on which you intend to work. The mineral spirits or denatured alcohol are some of the valuable liquids that will help you remove the grease. Remember that wood furniture has been hosting various substances. Proper cleaning will allow you to apply a new coat on a non-stained ground.
The second step is to get them all the tools ready for the process. A paste wax, steel wool, and a soft cloth. You’ll find a variety of steel wool and paste waxes that claim to give the desired outcome. The trick here is simple. Just pick the color that matches your wood furniture. For instance, dark wood would be best served by the old English scratch cover Polish. Remember, there are instances when it will be necessary to mix colors and get the perfect match for your furniture. So, it is a good idea to first try out the chosen color to see if it is exactly looking you’re trying to restore on your furniture. On the other hand, fine steel wool that is number 0.000 will yield the perfect outcome in your touch up.
The Procedure
Once you’re equipped with the said components, you ought to follow only three steps to touch up the wood furniture and reinstate its original look. First, apply the wax on the steel wool sparingly. If you’re more accurate, then you can apply the paste wax sparingly on the work surface. Attaining an even spread at this stage is paramount for two reasons. It saves you more wax for future use. It will also limit the need to find other ways of leveling the surface. Secondly, use the fine steel wool to spread the paste wax in a smooth, gentle, and circular motion. Once you achieve the even spread that is suitable for your furniture, allow the wax to dry up. The last step is to use the smooth piece of cloth to buff the paste work into the wood. The resulting outcome will just be sparkling. So, you just attained the appearance you’ve been looking for.
The same procedure is also applicable when dealing with a significant portion of the wood furniture except a few more steps will apply. In case the touch up intended to address the multiple scratches on a portion of the wood furniture, you’ll need to apply a stain that has a similar color. You’ll then apply a new coat and wax the whole surface with the paste wax to achieve an even appeal. Finally, polish the wood furniture to make it shine once more.
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Dings and Other Deep Scratches
Wood furniture may also suffer gouges and deep scratches that will require a different approach to touching up. In this case, the ingredients will include sandpaper, wax stick, used Credit card, and a smooth piece of cloth.
The Procedure
The cleaning of the surface you intend to work on is a constant part of the process. Just like you’ll do it when restoring the whole surface marred by scratches, using denatured alcohol in the cleaning process is necessary. In this case, target the worn part and generously apply the detergent. Use a clean piece of cloth to whip the alcohol. Even in this case, excessive use of alcohol may damage the surface of your wood furniture.
Once the area is clean and ready for work, level the raised burr using the sandpaper. In most cases, deep scratches result in unleveled edges. This is why you need the 600-grit paper to get the job done. The next step is to apply the wax stick.
Before, deciding which color to use, it is important to test on a similar surface and see if there’s a perfect match between the wax stick and the color of the wood furniture. The wax stick comes in multiple shades and in some case, the batch you just bought fail to match the color of your wood furniture. Before you run back to the store to claim a replacement, check if a mixture of the two in that collection can give the desired color. After getting a perfect match, apply the wax stick on the deep nick and ensure it is full. The next move is to use the credit card to scrape off the excess wax.
In case you don’t have the used credit, the putty knife will be a relevant alternative. Meanwhile, you must take caution so that you don’t exert excess pressure that will cause more damage to the wood furniture. After leveling, allow the wax to dry for about fifteen minutes before you buff it using the piece of smooth clothe. Finally, coat the entire adjacent surface to obtain an even sheen which brings a new life to your worn wood furniture.
You might also want to consider getting touch-up markers and pencils. You match up the correct color of marker or wax pencil with the wood color. You rub it into the surface until it becomes unnoticeable or invisible. There is a highly rated touch-up kit I highly recommend. If you are interested, Click Here.
Shallow Chips and Water Stains
Touch up wood furniture is sometimes part of the solution when the chips do not interfere with the underlying color. In other cases, wet glasses may damage the beauty of your wood furniture by leaving water stains. These quickly turns into white rings you’d rather not have on your wood table. If it is the case with your wood furniture, don’t despair. Instead purchase clear nail polish, denatured alcohol, sandpaper, and an auto polishing compound.
The Procedure
Clean the affected area using denatured alcohol and a piece of clean cloth. This will address the concerns of the white rings instantly.
Apply the nail polish on the chipped portion and allow it to dry.
Use the sandpaper to level the surface.
Finally, add the auto polishing compound and see the wood furniture to regain its original look.
Final Thoughts
The wood furniture will not escape the wrath of superfluous furniture and the wear and tear that occurs on a daily basis. The only known solution that respects your wallet while restoring its beauty and the original look is the touch-up. However, following the appropriate steps in getting the damage fixed is of paramount significance. With these DIY technics, you’ll get the scratches off the wood furniture.
