An antique table can add greatly to the ambience of your house but its important for the table to be in mint condition. Regardless of how beautiful the antique table is it can loose its charm under a layer of weathered paint.
So if you want to refinish a piece of antique furniture and restore it with a new layer of paint you don’t have to turn to a professional establishment you can easily do it yourself here is how.
A Step by Step Process
The first thing that you need to do is choose a color. Try to keep it as close to the original color as possible. Next you will need to choose an appropriate finish you may go for a faux antique or cracked finish. Once the preliminaries are dealt with you can start by removing the original layer of paint.
To start, place the table on a drop cloth or on some layers of news paper so that you dont stain the floor. Next you will need some rubber gloves to protect your hands from the chemical removers that you will be using. Use a paint stripper which is easily available in most hardware stores.
Apply a thick layer on the surface of the table giving special attention to the crevices and carved surfaces. You can apply the stripper with a brush. The stripper needs to stay put for at least half an hour or as per manufacturer instructions.
When the paint stripper starts working the original surface will begin to bubble visibly. This indicates that the surface is now loose enough to be scraped you can use a blade scraper or putty knife t remove it. If the surface still has some residual paint you can apply a second layer and repeat the procedure. Once all the old paint has been scraped off leave the surface to dry.
What to do next?
Next use a sand paper with a fine grade to further even the surface. It is important to not exert too much pressure and sand the surface in the direction of the wood grain. You will then need to clean the dust and residue with mineral spirits. Once again let the surface dry completely. Now the surface is ready for the paint or stain that you intend to use.
Painting
Use a brush with fine bristles to paint the surface. Start painting in the direction of the grain. Once you have coated the entire surface gently wipe the stain off if using that particular finish after letting it set for 5 to 10 minutes. Once again you will need to follow manufacturer’s directions.