Summer is here, and it is the perfect time to lounge in your backyard and enjoy some good quality time with family and friends. To truly get the most out of your outdoor leisure time, you will, of course, need patio furniture that is in the best condition (clean and comfortable). Unfortunately, even the best quality wood furniture needs periodic refinishing to stay in the best condition for a long time.
Restore Your Patio Furniture with These Refinishing Tips
Summer is here, and it is the perfect time to lounge in your backyard and enjoy some good quality time with family and friends. To truly get the most out of your outdoor leisure time, you will, of course, need patio furniture that is in the best condition (clean and comfortable). Unfortunately, even the best quality wood furniture needs periodic refinishing to stay in the best condition for a long time.
Refinishing offers the benefit of giving your furniture a fresh new look and helping you save money on replacement furniture.
So, if you have a patio furniture set that has seen better days, here are some furniture restoration and refinishing tips to help you get them back to their original condition.
Things to Know Before Refinishing Wood Furniture
Before we get into the details about restoration, it is important to bear in mind that the refinishing process you choose depends on the nature of your wood surface. Wood furniture with exterior stains or oil finishes typically requires yearly cleaning and refreshing of the finish to maintain its appearance. For pieces that have protective finishes (like varnishes or spar urethane), the old and stained finish will need to be sanded off, and new coats applied every 2-3 years.
Refinishing Tips for Restoring Patio Furniture
General Cleaning Tips
Sometimes, all that is needed to restore the beautiful appearance of your patio furniture is some good old-fashioned cleaning. However, before you start wiping down your furniture, do make sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions for each cleaning product to ensure that they won’t damage the furniture. Once you are sure of the dos and don’ts, you can then proceed with the cleaning process.
Cleaning the Wood Furniture – There are a few techniques you can use here. First is light cleaning, which involves sweeping the surface of the furniture with a soft-bristled brush that will not leave scratches on its finish. This should be followed with cleaning using a soap solution or an oil soap product before drying off with a clean, soft cloth.
You can also try deeper cleaning if the patio set has some weather damage or mould lurking underneath. This process will involve some light sanding to remove the weathered layer of the wood before cleaning and re-application of the finish.
Taking Care of the Fabric – Most outdoor furniture fabrics are designed to withstand the effects of moisture, heat, and stains. However, they still require a wash from time to time. You can clean seat cushion covers and pillowcases by machine washing them in a mixture of cold water and laundry soap (preferably bleach-free).
You can also hand wash these fabrics by swooshing them around a mixture of lukewarm water and a quarter cup of gentle liquid soap. If there are tough stains, you can get them out by using a soft-bristled brush.
To prevent shrinking, the fabrics should be air-dried after washing.
Wood Refinishing Tips
If surface cleaning is not enough to restore the appearance of your patio set, you might need to refinish it. Below is a step-by-step guide on how you can refinish wooden patio furniture.
Sanding – This is the first step in refinishing wood furniture. Using sandpaper (80-grit) and a random orbit sander, sand off the damaged layer of the furniture to get a surface that is smooth, healthy, and clean. For an even smoother surface, you can go over the already smooth surface with 120-grit sandpaper but ensure that you don’t overdo it. To get an even and perfect texture, sanding should be done in long strokes with the wood grain.
Cleaning – After sanding, the next step is to blow the surface of the furniture and clean off all debris and dust with a cloth. For effective cleaning, dip a tack cloth in some mineral spirit and use it to wipe the furniture’s surface.
Staining – Once the wood surface is properly cleaned, you can then proceed to apply the stain. Thoroughly mix the pigments by shaking the stain can and use a chip brush or cotton rag to apply the stain slowly in even strokes (with the wood grain). Leave the stain to dry for the recommended amount of time before wiping off any excess with a rag. When using an oil-based stain, provide enough ventilation so fumes don’t build up.
Applying the Finish- This is the last step of refinishing, and the process is quite similar to stain application. You will, however, need to be very careful not to allow runs and drips (especially around the joints) when applying the finish. For a wiping finish, at least three coats will be needed to provide enough protection for the furniture’s surface.
After applying each coat of finish, allow enough drying time and scuff with a sanding brush before applying the next coat. Following the application of the last coat, the furniture should be allowed to dry for at least 24 hours before use.
Conclusion
Refinishing is an excellent way to restore your patio furniture and get it in good condition for use this summer. The above refinishing techniques are very easy and can be taken on as DIY projects. However, if you don’t have the time and energy to commit to doing a good job, you can always hire a furniture restoration company to carry out the refinishing process.
