Refinishing

How To Turn Trash Into Treasure With Some Easy To Do Refinishing

Making something that is old and ugly look beautiful again is such a wonderful process. Watching someone's junk become your treasure is part hard work and part dreaming. As you work and see the results, you feel like an artist drawing on a canvass. This creation is yours and you will display it with love and affection. You may even be thinking about handing this delight down to your children who will look upon it with love too. Or you may be starting your own apartment or house on a budget. Rather than buying new and busting your budget, you can purchase old junky items and make them new again with your love and care. Whatever the reason you are refinishing furniture, you are an artist with a vision.

If you're like me, then you love searching for hidden treasures at places like thrift shops and yard sales. Often, you can find a fantastic item that may not look like much, but that can be given new life with a little refinishing!

For example, on one of my many yard sale jaunts, I found the most beautiful wooden rocking chair. Problem was, this chair looked terrible. No one wanted to buy it because it looked dirty and old. I plunked down $10 for this sad looking chair and took it home with me for a little tender loving care.

The first thing I did was sand the existing finish off of the rocking chair. It wasn't too hard, because there wasn't much of it left. Sanding is a crucial step because no wood piece is going to properly take a new paint or stain without it. I will say, it was a bit labor intensive, but worth it. I used a 120 grain sandpaper at first, then finished the piece with a 220 grain.

Following the sanding, I rinsed the entire chair off with a light spraying from the garden hose and sat it in the sun to dry thoroughly. After drying, I applied a coat of grain filler to fill in the grain and provide a smooth surface for the stain. This product is like a paste and after being worked in with a stiff brush, should be smoothed to a uniform finish.

Next, it was time to prime for stain using a sanding sealer. I made my own using a bit of stain plus paint thinner. After two coats of sanding sealer, it was time to sand once more using a 220 grain sandpaper.

After the sealer came the best part -- the stain! I used a rich oil based oak colored stain on this rocking chair, and I must say, it came out beautifully! By finishing with an oil based polyurethane coating, the chair was given extra durability and a gleaming shine. After the chair was completely dry, the only thing left to do was add a colorful seat cushion.

Now when guests come to my house they all want to sit in my antique rocking chair! If only they could see what it looked like when I brought it home, they'd be amazed! I know I am!

Refinishing News:

Some shuttered schools to house new programs - Whittier Daily News
PICO RIVERA - Four elementary schools will be shut down because of declining enrollment and a tight budget next school year, but classroom doors on those campuses will remain open. At least two of the four school sites will play host to new programs ...

Gary Garner has been furnishing churches for 26 years (The Augusta Chronicle)
Even when answering the phone, Gary Garner's business comes second: "Praise the Lord . Images of the Cross."..

Deck facelift (Lancaster Online)
Like a new coat of paint on a wall or flowers in the beds around your house, cleaning up and refinishing a dingy, weathered, press..

Refresh your digs with these instant hits of summer
"Fiesta" table linens. On sale now at Macy's. At last, it's summer. While most of us can't spend the entire season on vacation, that shouldn't stop anyone from trying...

Homeowners opting for designer floors
When Tom Jenkins builds a house, he has the designer focus on the flooring as one of the key ways to boost a home's value and to give each home its own identity...

Water is gone, now recovery begins (The Oshkosh Northwestern)
iEditors note: Oshkosh resident Lori Stang lives in one of the neighborhoods that was most heavily hit by flooding on June 8 and June 12. This is the first installment in a weekly series of stories that will follow the West Eighth Avenue resident through the process of recovering and rebuilding after her home was extensively damaged by the floodwaters./i..

Bargains on houses available if you can do some work (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
The key is to work with an agent who knows your wants and needs and the type of home you are seeking, real estate agents say...

Renovations planned for Piermont train station
PIERMONT - The floors and the old fixtures were covered in grime and dust and the wood-paneled walls gave off a smokey smell, even though the chimney hasn't been fired up in years...

Deck facelift (Lancaster Online)
Like a new coat of paint on a wall or flowers in the beds around your house, cleaning up and refinishing a dingy, weathered, press..

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