Before you toss out that side table that has served you so well for all these years, why not see if you can give it a new lease on life.
You may be amazed at how easy it is to refinish that side table and make it new again.
This will do a lot of things.
First it will save you money on purchasing a new piece of furniture and second it will make you feel a little better and more 'green' as it is reusing something instead of sending it to the landfill.
Here's how to refinish a side table.
Remove the Current Finish First things first.
You need to get your table down to just wood.
To do this you are going to need to strip off the old finish.
This means that you need to take a trip to the hardware store and purchase paint thinner to remove the current finish from the table.
Check For Repairs That Need To Be Done Once you have removed all of the current finish on the table, you need to take a close look at your side table and see if there has been any real damage over your time of using it.
Check each and every joint to see if any of the hardware has come loose or there are other small issues that can use a little fixing up.
Often it is nothing more than a loose screw or nail that is causing your table to seem weak and a simple tightening job will be more than enough to make it stand like new again.
It should not take long to make these minor repairs and you will appreciate that you made them when your table is holding stronger than ever.
Sand and Smooth Once you have made any necessary repairs and you think the table is ready to be painted and refinished, don't jump right away.
First you need to make sure you have a nice surface to paint.
Feel over the side table and look for any areas where there are nicks or splinters that need to be sanded down.
Take a little sandpaper to sand these areas smooth so you have a perfect surface to paint or finish.
Refinish Now it's time to make that side table look the way you want it to.
Whether you are using a stain or paint it is time to put on the first layer.
This is the part of the process where many people become impatient and screw it up.
Instead of just putting one coat on and letting it dry, many people start to put that second coat on before the side table is ready.
You must let the first coat completely dry before putting a second one on.
This does not mean where it's mostly dry and just a little tacky, but completely dry! Those who don't wait the extra time to allow that first layer to dry end up with irregularities in the finish and often end up having to do the job all over again.
You may be amazed at how easy it is to refinish that side table and make it new again.
This will do a lot of things.
First it will save you money on purchasing a new piece of furniture and second it will make you feel a little better and more 'green' as it is reusing something instead of sending it to the landfill.
Here's how to refinish a side table.
Remove the Current Finish First things first.
You need to get your table down to just wood.
To do this you are going to need to strip off the old finish.
This means that you need to take a trip to the hardware store and purchase paint thinner to remove the current finish from the table.
Check For Repairs That Need To Be Done Once you have removed all of the current finish on the table, you need to take a close look at your side table and see if there has been any real damage over your time of using it.
Check each and every joint to see if any of the hardware has come loose or there are other small issues that can use a little fixing up.
Often it is nothing more than a loose screw or nail that is causing your table to seem weak and a simple tightening job will be more than enough to make it stand like new again.
It should not take long to make these minor repairs and you will appreciate that you made them when your table is holding stronger than ever.
Sand and Smooth Once you have made any necessary repairs and you think the table is ready to be painted and refinished, don't jump right away.
First you need to make sure you have a nice surface to paint.
Feel over the side table and look for any areas where there are nicks or splinters that need to be sanded down.
Take a little sandpaper to sand these areas smooth so you have a perfect surface to paint or finish.
Refinish Now it's time to make that side table look the way you want it to.
Whether you are using a stain or paint it is time to put on the first layer.
This is the part of the process where many people become impatient and screw it up.
Instead of just putting one coat on and letting it dry, many people start to put that second coat on before the side table is ready.
You must let the first coat completely dry before putting a second one on.
This does not mean where it's mostly dry and just a little tacky, but completely dry! Those who don't wait the extra time to allow that first layer to dry end up with irregularities in the finish and often end up having to do the job all over again.
SHARE
