Refinishing Old Furniture - to paint or not to paint?

The term refinishing according to a definition from Wikepedia refers to “the act of repairing or reapplying the wood finishing on an object. In practice, this may apply to the paint or wood finish top coat, lacquer or varnish. The artisan or restorer is traditionally aiming for an improved or restored and renewed finish.” So refinishing refers to both clear finishing that maintains the natural look of the wood as well as painting where the wood is totally concealed. To restore the old finish you have the choice between a clear finish and a painted finish. 

Restored vintage riempies bank

Before deciding whether to paint or whether to use a clear finish there are a number of things to consider.

Does this piece qualify as antique?       

                                                                                               

Sometimes people do not even realise that they have a valuable piece that can be classified as antique. If you are going to paint or refinish a genuine antique piece of furniture, the value will decrease and it will be difficult to get it restored again. It is best to consult an expert and have it professionally restored. 

When can a piece of furniture be regarded as antique? By definition an antique is a piece that has a special value because of its age and style. Some antique dealers regard a piece 100 years or older as antique and most experts will agree that antique furniture date back to the early 1800’s. Most of these pieces were hand-made and natural oils and later shellac was used as finishing material.

To assess if a piece can be regarded as antique the following should be considered:

·         Is the piece hand-made or machine made? 

•  Machine manufacturing only started about 1860. Prior to 1860 joints were dovetailed and usually only a few joints, irregularly shaped, were used.

•     Backings and drawer bottoms were of solid wood. Hardboard was first made in England in 1898 and extensively used from early 1900.

•   The type of finish used will also give an indication of age. Only oils were used and milk paint was the only paint available. Lacquer and varnish is a sign of later manufacture. To test for shellac use a few drops of denatured alcohol. Shellac will become sticky. To test for lacquer or varnish use thinners and it will dissolve the finish.

• The type of wood will also give an indication of age. Furniture before 1700 was mainly made from oak and from 1700 onward from mahogany and walnut.

• The style, especially of legs, feet etc. will indicate age and style. Early English styles such as Queen Anne (1720), Chippendale (1790), or American colonial styles such as Federal (1790 to 1815) have great value and painting may not be the best option.

Once an authentic antique piece is painted, re-stained or refinished it will decrease dramatically in value unless it has been done by a professional. The exception is when an old piece has been so badly run down that you can buy it at a fraction of its real worth and repair it yourself. Painting it will transform it to something beautiful that you can enjoy in your home or sell it for a handsome profit.

In the case of an authentic antique, preserving the original finish should be the aim and should be done as follows:

• Try and keep the antique look. Do not remove all dents and blemishes accept white rings and dirt. Do not try and clean brass fittings with commercial brass cleaners.

• Start by washing the old finish with a mild solution of soapy water. Use cheesecloth and gently rub away dirt and grime. If this doesn’t work try a stronger solution of vinegar and water.

• When it is dry but looks dull, use antique furniture wax to brighten up the finish.

•  After applying the wax, leave for a couple of hours and use a soft cloth to buff the finish to a shine.

Does it have sentimental value?

Furniture with sentimental value should to my mind be kept in its original finish as far as possible. Sometimes, however, you may find that stripping the piece will reveal a stunning natural wood that can be refinished and transform it to its original splendour.

Can the piece be classified as vintage or retro?

Apart from antique furniture, there is also furniture known as vintage and retro. Vintage furniture dates back between 30 and 50 years. Retro furniture refers to furniture of a specific period or style. More recent furniture qualifies as used furniture.

 

Furniture in this category from the late 1800s to the 1960s is well suited for refinishing and especially repainting. These pieces generally do not qualify as antique but the quality is better than most modern furniture. Most furniture in this category has been mass produced but it is generally much more sturdy than most modern furniture. Modern furniture is not made to last because of cheaper materials that are used. 

What is the condition of the piece?

When the item is structurally in good condition but the finish has deteriorated and damaged by water marks, crack etc. it may be a good candidate for painting because repaired finishes may not show up well with a clear coat whilst a painted surface will cover those imperfections.

What will make you happy?

This is probably the most important question. I have had clients that wanted beautiful high quality prestige solid wood furniture painted and no matter how I tried to convince them to reconsider, in the end it was painted and the client was just ecstatic with end result. The reality is that painted furniture has a charm of its own and at the moment it is a hot trend. Painted furniture is in – brown wood furniture is out! But trends change over time and I am pretty sure the time will come when the paint will be stripped again and the original wood look will be back.

Can modern engineered wood be painted? 

With the development of technology, modern materials are increasingly being used in furniture manufacturing. Hard woods are becoming scarcer and more expensive and alternative materials such as engineered wood (chip board, MDF, veneered board) and even plastic and glass are increasingly used. Also Pine wood has become popular in furniture manufacturing. Many of these products are cheaper than solid hardwood and are easy to work with. This type of furniture do not have a great collector’s or investment value and when it gets old and run down, lends itself to painting and recycling and are good candidates for re-finishing. 

Fortunately with modern paints and more specifically water based paints, almost any material can be painted – even glass and plastic.  But when should you NOT paint a piece? Do not paint a piece of furniture when:

•   It has sentimental value and you want to preserve it for the future.

• It is antique and has a commercial value. If you are uncertain, consult an expert or do some research to find out what it is worth before you slap on a coat of paint.

• You want to be like everybody else and have some painted furniture in your house or just to be cool  
•  When you want to preserve a particular style or period.
  
  
  

Restored farm kitchen cabinet

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Using a heat gun to strip paint

A heat gun can be used to strip paint but it is important to know when and how to use it.

Heat gun safety

A heat gun produces hot air that can reach temperatures of up to 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. This can easily burn the wood or loose items such as curtains and other flammable items in a few seconds. Never aim a heat gun at anything that you are not trying to strip paint from.

A heat gun should not be used around flammable chemicals such as paint thinner, mineral spirits or acetone. You should always use a mask and heat resistance gloves. Also make sure that there is enough ventilation. Always run the gun on the cool setting to cool it down before turning it completely off to save wear and tear on the gun. 

When to use a heat gun

 

A heat gun is effective for stripping paint from large flat surfaces and hard to reach places. It is also a good tool to use if you have a lot of paint to strip such as a room full of painted woodwork, mouldings and doors.

To use a heat gun use the following procedure:

• ·         Keep a distance of about 4 inches from the wood

• ·         Move the gun around constantly. Never keep it stationary in one spot

• ·         Move the gun with one hand and follow with a paint scraper and scrape away the    loosened   paint.

• ·         Keep a container handy to discard the loose paint.

·         Always put a drop cloth or some other covering on the floor to catch loosened paint.

Remember that the hot paint can inflict burn wounds so be sure not to touch it with bare hands.

Finishing the job

When working around windows be very careful as the heat gun can crack and break glass. You will want to hold it further away from the paint or put it on a lower setting. If you are dealing with grooves or ridges, you may need a tool such as an awl to pick away pieces of paint from tiny areas. You may also find you will need to do a 'wash' over the stripped area with mineral spirits to totally clean it after it has cooled down. Do not use heat on wet mineral spirits as it will ignite.

Furniture Refinishing Business Plan

To start a furniture refinishing home business, developing a business plan could significantly improve chances to get the project going on a sound footing. The biggest advantage of a business plan  is that it forces you to think through a process of how you visualize the development of the business. Like with any business, the aim is to grow the business and to make a decent profit. Setting attainable goals will help to achieve those aims.

When compiling a business plan, the following questions should be answered:

Why start a furniture refinishing business?

What will my business do to be different from the rest?

Who is the ideal customer?

What do you want to achieve in the first year?

What steps will you take to attain those goals?

What will it cost?

What will be your pricing strategy?

Why start a furniture refinishing business?

There could be many reasons for starting a business. You could be retired and want to supplement your pension or just to keep busy and earn an icome on the side. Your strategy for the future of the business will depend heavily on what the answer is to these two alternatives. Maybe you know people in the furniture and/or cabinet manufacturing industries and this presents an ideal opportunity to enter into an agreement to provide a refinishing and painting service. Maybe you have a passion for restoring old furniture to their former glory. Whatever the reason, think it though and write it down as a pointer of where you want to go with the business.

What will my business do to be different from the rest?

To compete effectively in the marketplace, your business should have unique selling points (USP’s). Why would people want to use your business when there are others that have been around for a long time? Do you have unique skills or do you use more sophisticated paint techniques? Can you supply a range of products and services that make yours different from the others?

There are some big and established businesses in the refinishing business and if you start out as a small business it will be almost impossible to compete with them That is why I suggest that you start small, keeping your overheads to the minimum. This will enable you to come in at a much lower price and by so doing get your foot in the door. 

Who is the ideal customer?

By identifying the ideal customer, you can focus on your target market and not spend time or money on efforts that will not yield the required results. Having established your target market, a strategy can then be developed to make contact. There could be a number of ways to approach and convince the potential customer to use your services such as personal contact, regular e-mails, phone calls etc. Your program should not be a once off, but should be done on a continuously and regular basis.

What do you want to achieve in the first year?

By setting some goals to be achieved in the next 12 months, you can focus attention and resources to achieve them. Goals need not all be monetary. Aspects such as improving skills and techniques, penetrating a specific target market etc. are just as important.

What steps will you take to achieve those goals?

This is an obvious question to set the process in motion. Programs to consider are things like news paper ads, flyers, radio, internet marketing, e-mails, billboards, post, telephone etc.

Special promotions can be offered from time to time and the aim should be to expand your customer base and increasing sales.

What will it cost?

A budget should be drawn up and expenditure carefully monitored. Returns on the investment should also be established and monitored to see if the programs are meeting their goals.

What will be your pricing strategy?

Be aware of prices that are charged by competitors and  make sure that your prices are competitive. Also consider the possibility to give discounts or other incentives such as free transport to special clients, especially if you want to establish a long term relationship.

If you are serious to start a profitable home business, you will find all the information that you will need in my book "Refinishing Old Furniture - start a home business".

How to spray paint furniture

Painted furniture has become a popular trend and by using the right tools, paints and other materials and paint techniques, you can give new life to a piece of furniture. Spray painting furniture is by far the best way to go about it because it is much quicker than painting with a brush or a roller and the end result so much more rewarding. Whether a beginner or a more experienced furniture painter, in “How to Spray Paint Furniture” you will find a detailed guide on aspects such as the best tools and equipment for spray painting, what types of paint to use, how to prepare wood for painting, the basics of the technique of spray painting etc. There is also a section dealing with the best approach to paint different types of wood surfaces such as hardwood, laminated wood and MDF (medium density fiber) and how to spray chalk paint and milk paint. You will find many useful practical tips and suggestions to get you started to become a master spray painter. Whether you are just starting out by using an ordinary spray can or using a handheld sprayer or want to progress to a more professional level of using a spray gun with a compressor – this book covers all the necessary aspects to get you there. Spray painting can be mastered with relative ease and your projects can achieve a new level of sophistication in no time.

How to mix paint for spraying furniture

Spray painting requires that the paint be accurately mixed so that you get the correct consistency – not too thick and not too thin. Most paint manufacturers give an indication of the ratio of solvent to the paint volume required. As a rule of thumb, 10% solvent is usually sufficient. However, some water based paints are non-drip and comes as a thick liquid that will require a bigger ratio – up to 15%. 

Mixing cups and empty yogurt container

Mixing cups are available in the paint trade. These are ideal for accurately measuring the paint mix. Different sizes are available but the 1 liter cups are the most practical. A spray painter’s ruler is also a handy measurement and mixing tool. 

Most paints used for spray painting must be filtered to get rid of small particles. Paint strainers of various grid sizes are available but the medium mesh size is preferable. Clean paint prevents clogging of nozzles and air holes on the paint gun. Paper strainers can be cleaned and used two or three times before discarding. Reusable paint strainers are also available. 

You could make your own reusable paint strainer by using the 20 liter paint straining mesh that can be bought from your paint dealer and cutting it to fit over a used yogurt container as shown in the picture. Here is what you do:

• cut about 5 cm off the top of an empty yougurt container

  

  Home made reusable paint strainer

• use the top part to insert in another empty container to hold the straining mesh that you have cut out from the 20 L straining mesh
• fit the mesh over the empty container and then press the 5 cm top lid to insert the mesh into the empty container
• Pour the paint and then remove and wash the straining mesh with the required solvent (water or turpentine) to use again.