If your home is from the arts and crafts era, or if you have built-ins that are looking a little worn, restoring them is not as difficult as you may think. Built-ins are incredibly useful but they are often overlooked by many home owners. Here are some great tips to help you restore the built-ins in your home and make them look brand new once again.
First, you will need to decide whether you will be sticking to the original character of the piece, or if you would like to completely change its appearance. For example, restoring a built-in bookcase to its original stain and finish may require a little bit of research on your part, especially if it has been painted or faded through the years. Most local libraries will contain books about the arts and crafts era and you can get some great inspiration from them when it comes time to refinish your built-in.
However, you can also completely redo a built-in to change its color or even add more usefulness by removing or adding shelves. It is important to note however that painting a built-in may reduce its overall value, unless the wood is in such bad shape that it is the only answer. Whether you are a wood purist, or a dedicated believer that all wood should be painted, it is important to consider the end result and whether or not it will add or detract from your entire house.
Once you’ve made this decision, you can move forward to restore your built-in. The first step is to remove all items from the built-in and thoroughly clean it. A damp rag will usually work best for this since it will pick up dust, but not leave behind any cleaning product residue that could interact with your paint or wood stain. If the built-in has doors, these should be removed and finished separately before being reinstalled.
Now, using either a piece of sandpaper, or a sanding tool, you will need to completely strip the unit of its finish or paint. This can take a little while, but be careful not to damage the integrity of the wood. Sanders can reduce the overall effort, but they can also take gouges out of the wood if you are not careful. Work slowly and take the time that it takes to finish.
Once your finish is completely removed, get your damp cloth again and go over the built-in to remove any sanding residue. Let that dry and then you can proceed to either painting or staining the wood. Older units may require more than one coat of paint or stain. Allow each coat plenty of time to dry to avoid dealing with bubbles and streaks.
After the final coat has been applied and fully dried, you should consider adding a sealant to protect the finish. Lacquer is a great option that will provide you with a great shine and durability that will last for several years.
Photo Credits: 1
Originally posted 2008-10-09 05:23:09. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Choosing Beginning Woodworking Projects When you are thinking about beginning woodworking projects as part of a new woodworking hobby, there are a variety of different ways that you can get the help, the information and the resources that you need. Many people are originally introduced to the art of beginning woodworking in school, and...... -
What to Do in Household Emergencies pt 2 of 2 As we mentioned before, there are a number of household emergencies that are unfortunately common occurrences. Knowing what can be done to address them will be able to save money, manpower and even lives, believe it or not. In the last part of this series we touched on electricity, electric...... -
Simple Energy Solutions That Save Big Money As energy prices go up, many people are looking to alternative power solutions in order to save money. However, converting an entire house to go off grid can be costly, and the work involved may be too much for some homeowners. That doesn't mean that you have to abandon the...... -
Lumber Terms pt 2 Ply - This term describes a single layer of veneer. Pressure Treating - This term describes impregnating pieces of lumber with chemicals like fire retardants and preservatives through the forcing of the chemicals with high pressure into the wood's very structure. Reman - This is a shortened term referring to...... -
Fixing Warped Floors Warped flooring is a major problem for many homeowners. First, it is typically caused by water damage, and can be indicative of a major leak, but it can also be caused by excessive wear, poor original materials or even chance. Warped floors are a bit of a hazard around the......
Related Websites -
Office File Cabinet - Is Wood a Good Option? An office file cabinet can be made of wood, plastic or metal. Some are made of a combination of these three materials. Sometimes making a choice based on product material is a matter of preference. For many offices however, the choice is guided by the requirement for product durability...... - Starwood plans to double its hotels in China May 24, 2006 - STARWOOD Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc, the first global hotel manager to enter China, plans to double the number of properties it manages in the country by 2008 to tap a tourism boom and wealthier citizens. The New York-based hotel group will sign another 50 contracts......
- 5 Common Health Hazards In Your Home This article was submitted by the Handyman, author of Handyman Fix Home Repair (rss feed). He strongly believes in cheap kitchen remodeling. If you like the guest post please check out his website and consider subscribing to his rss feed. Our homes are our castles, but few of us realize......
-
Uses For Milk Jugs It seems like every week when I prepare our household trash for pickup the cans are overflowing with boxes and plastic containers such as milk jugs. I've never been very good at separating and recycling, so I recently went on a mission to discover ways to reuse milk jugs instead of...... -
Windows Phone 7: Too Much Like the iPhone? [/caption] by: Ian Paul PCWorld Windows Phone 7 Series will not come with cut-and-paste functionality, according to a wide number of reports citing information Microsoft reportedly revealed during a Q & A session at its MIX10 conference late Tuesday. Microsoft believes that people don't need copy-and-paste on their phones, according......
- Dishwashers: Built-In Dishwashers Major Appliances Home Store
- Coat & Hat Racks Racks, Stands & Hooks Home D�cor & Accents Home Store
- Paint Guns Sprayers Painting Supplies Sprayers Building Hardware Home Improvement
- Paint Sprayers Air Tools Tools Home Improvement
- Painting Supplies Sprayers Building Hardware Home Improvement
Categories:
Handy Man, Refresh, Woodwork
Tags:
0 comments ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment