Steps for Restoring Old Woodwork

There can be a few helpful checks and steps one can follow to make refinishing old woodwork around the house much easier. It may seem like a daunting job but actually with some planning and a little patience can be quite rewarding.

First make notes on which areas of your house need woodwork to be inspected. Check each area and the damage and integrity of the wood. It is possible if wood is in good condition and a solid finish is still intact that a good cleaning will restore the woodwork to its original state.

Once you have determined the areas then inspection will be served to find the areas of determined work and supplies.

Inspection of the woodwork is simple. If the woodwork is scarred but the original, finish is still in good solid form it can be cleaned and buffed to restore its original beauty. If the finish is broken or damaged, too thin and the wood itself has, marring and aging then it will need to be refinished for restoration.

Some woodwork may have been already re-finished and if done properly can be cleaned but if it was not and there is aging and damage under the viewable finish it will be necessary to strip and refinish.

Making the inspections and recording your findings will make it easier to list and attribute items and tools to perform the work. One can also break the work areas into sections by location and determined amount of work to be taken into account to properly schedule time to refinish properly.

Stripping and preparing the wood can be done in intervals according but when staining and finishing these two steps need to be done at one time to prevent drying marks or streaks and overlapping markings of each process though the two will not be done in succession as the stain or color needs time to set and cure when being used.

Cleaning materials for woodwork can vary and depending on the type of process used to clean and restore woodwork. Helpful assistance in most home improvement stores as well online information can help DIY projects and simple cleaning.

For heavier refinishing jobs, the type of woodwork needs to be determined for proper restoration. This may need some more investigative work if you are a newer owner of the home and not familiar with woodwork suppliers.

Taking samples to home improvement centers and asking for assistance can be helpful or contractors in your area can also help identify types of woodwork. Including to some woods were finished in darker tones hiding the natural grain and the type of restoration will also dictate if one wants to restore the natural wood grain or simply restore the previous finish.

Once it is determined what tools are needed in the refinishing process for the type of woodwork and process then it is time to schedule the areas. Once you begin working with your woodwork there will be few steps to aid in making the process flow smoothly.

 Cleaning and stripping will involve a work area that is open in which fumes and dust can exhaust safely. Once the woodwork has been cleaned, it is also necessary to clean the area if it will be used to apply sealers and color to keep from contaminating the new finish. 

Sealing and coloring will vary for types of wood and finishes desired. Following manufacturer details of products used may also make necessary that the woodwork dry or cure before the next product application, which will insure the area, be free of traffic and safe.

Once you have finished your woodwork it will be time to reassemble and install. Safety measure for not damaging the finished woodwork will need to be followed and some cleaning after installation may also be needed.