Renovating Wood.pdf

RENOVATING WOOD

Renovating wood is not difficult, but it does require patience

and application. Don't be tempted to work on fine or antique

furniture - leave that to the experts!

Always wear a face mask when working with an electric

sander. Wear protective gloves when using paint stripper or

solvents. Work in a well-ventilated atmosphere when

stripping or finishing wood. Keep your fingers away from the

cutting edges of tools. Keep stains, varnishes and solvents

away from naked flames.

Warmth, colour, and subtle or dramatic grain patterns are

amongst the stunning effects this natural material can bring

into your home.

Renovating wood can take many forms, from stripping and

varnishing floors and internal fitted woodwork to stripping

and staining chairs, tables and fittings, polishing surfaces

and colouring.

Wood sometimes requires a facelift but be selective and

choose your projects carefully. There is little point in

stripping or altering antiques, because it will almost certainly

reduce their value. Some pieces are often the better for their

aged appearance.

2 - Planning your work

Decide on a method to remove the old finish on the timber

(if there is one). For instance, by blow torch, paint stripper,

planing or sandpaper.

On large areas, such as floors, you may need to obtain an

industrial sander. Remember, you will also have the room

out of action for some time.

Structural damage through rot, wear or accident should be

repaired before any overall renovation can begin. These

repairs can often be something simple such as letting in a

small section of floorboard, patching a window frame or

perhaps filling the hole where a lock has been removed from

a door. You may also need to apply a fungicide in areas of

poor ventilation or where there is evidence of fungal activity.

To avoid handling the wet areas when staining or varnishing

a piece of furniture, decide upon a sequence of work before

starting. With panelling, work out where you can finish with

your brush strokes so that there is no obvious line when you

begin again.

Before proceeding, always test dyes, stains and varnishes on

a small, inconspicuous area of the wood to be treated, in

order to assess their suitability.

Have your materials to hand, and if working with movable

furniture, have a clear and clean area set aside to work in.

If you are working a large area such as a floor, set yourself

a reasonable target.

When stripping vertical panelling, try to work from the

bottom up when using a blowtorch because the rising heat

will pre-soften the paint or varnish above. Work from the top

down when re-applying any wet finish.

3 - Initial preparation

Remove any projecting nails, screws or any other metallic

objects which may damage tools.

Door and drawer knobs should also be removed. These can

be cleaned, renovated or renewed separately.

Before sanding wooden floors, punch the heads of the nails

below the surface to avoid any possible damage to the

sander.

When using paint stripper on a piece of furniture on the

bench, cover the top of the bench with a cloth or newspaper

for protection, and possibly the surrounding floor area also.

When using a blow torch, have at least one spare canister

ready to hand for replacement.

- Stripping wood

This is the first step in wood

renovation. Before you start

the stripping process ensure

you wear protective gloves,

eye protection, a face mask

and follow all safety

instructions on the stripping

products you intend to use.

Regardless of whether you

use a blow torch or paint

stripper, you will need a

shavehook or scraper to

remove the old finish (2).

It may be necessary to use

several applications of

stripper to get into small

crevices, and this is often

best achieved by rubbing the

area with paint stripper on

wire wool by hand. A small

wire brush (like those used

for suede shoes) or a

toothbrush can also be u

a blow torch on furniture or

areas with deep profiles and crevices for fear of scorching

the wood.

seful

(3). It is not advisable to use

Wood that has been

discoloured by age,

weathering or fingermarks

can often be brought back to

life by taking off a few light

shavings with a finely set

smoothing plane. You must

always work with the grain o

the wood to avoid tearing out

(4).

After you have stripped the

timber, it must be prepared

for finishing by sanding,

either by hand or with an

orbital sander. When hand

sanding, it's useful to wrap

the sandpaper around a cork

block. This helps to create a

flat surface and protects the

user's fingers (5).

Orbital sanders come in

various sizes and are used fo

finishing larger areas (6).

Some are also designed to

reach into very small spaces.

These are called detail

sanders.

One good way of getting a smooth surface is to rub along

the grain with wire wool. Be sure to vacuum the surface of

the wood afterwards, or wipe it with a dry rag, to remove

any tiny wire particles which may be picked up by a wet

paint brush and spoil the finish.

Most stripped surfaces need to be neutralised with water or

white spirit. Be sure to do this, and remember to let the

surfaces dry thoroughly before attempting to use sandpaper

on them.

All finishes, even clear ones such as polyurethane varnish or

wax polish, will darken the appearance of the wood to some

extent. Bear this in mind, especially when trying to match

wood tones. Bleach will lighten wood.

All woods, with the exception of pine, tend to get lighter

when exposed to daylight. Pine will get progressively darker

even if it has been treated with varnish or polish.

5 - Before applying finishes

The 'end grain' of wood will

always absorb more stain,

varnish or polish than the

other surfaces, so it will show

up darker (7). It is importa

that the end grain is sanded

well before applying sta

varnish. Use a sanding seal

or give it only one light

application, even if the rest of

the piece takes several coats.

in or

After the first coat is dry on

the end grain, you can wipe

wax polish along it to prevent

it from absorbing any more

surface finish.

raise the grain of the wood and give it a slightly rough fee

When the first application is perfectly dry, give all surfaces a

light rub over with fine sandpaper following the grain, then

re-apply the finish.

he first application of any stain, sealer, or varnish may

- Wood fillers

Small nail holes or gaps in

joints can be filled with one of

the many available wood

fillers. These often come in

colours to suit various woods,

and most will accept sta

and dyes (8).

Wood fillers can be used to fill

fairly deep holes by building

up layers successively af

the previous one ha

However, they should not b

used for large areas. The

need additional wood 'let in'

to the damaged area, after

the rotted or damaged area

has been cut away, leaving

only good wood (9). Total

y if damage is very severe.

ter

s dried.

replacement may be necessar

This must be done

lace.

before any varnishing or waxing takes

ins

7 - Staining

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