A number of home owners are not really sure how to refinish their wooden furniture and you see some really terrible looking furniture that have been affected by the elements. This is sad because with simple refinishing your wooden chairs and whatnot will look as good as new all year round. Here are some tips you can use to achieve that.
Remove the old finishing
Some people are too lazy to remove the old finishing and so they end up painting over it but usually this just ends up looking like skin trapped inside another skin and it will also make the new coating come off much faster so you will be back to square one so take the time to remove the old one. The great thing about outdoor wooden furniture is that the elements make the old paint peel off really easy. You can use a high-pressure water hose to remove this layer or a light brush.
Always allow it to dry
Whatever stage you may be at, as long as you have applied something wet to the wood, let it dry before you apply anything else, for example, if you have just washed off the old finishing, allow the wood to dry before you apply any coating. This also applies to the different layers you may put, let the first one dry before you apply the next one
Sanding should be done evenly
If you want to have smooth furniture, never neglect the sanding process, it contributes a great deal to the overall look of the wood and it can help to remove scratches on the wood. If you find doing it manually is hard you can use a random orbital sander, I have found them to do the job quite well and quickly. You, however, need to be cautious not to sand too deep into the wood since each time you sand, you are removing part of the wood.
Make sure the surface is clean
After sanding, for example, you need to remove the particles that have remain on the surface since if you leave them there and paint over them, you will end up with a rough surface so do everything possible to see to it that the surface is clean. You can use a tack cloth, vacuum or buff and once again remember to let the surface dry before you apply anything to it.
Use more than one layer of finishing
Whether you are using varnish, Polyurethane or paint, you need to apply more than 1 layer. Usually, the first layer is a protective layer and the second one brings out the beauty of the wood but also seals it from the elements and the third layer is intended to beautify the wood and bring out that look you want. But like we have mentioned before, always ensure one layer dries before you apply the next one.
Ensure your own safety
You are going to be dealing with wood dust and chemicals which may not be safe to inhale or to splash in your eyes, it is advisable to have protection like gloves a mask and goggles. In whatever you are doing, always consider what safety measure you can take to ensure there is no accident or injury.