We offer a limited number of refinishing option, but they cover a broad range of applications. Depending on the type of furniture you have, condition and age of the wood, value and or personal preference we can determine which option is right for you.

Cleaning only

Sometimes we get "valuable" antiques; those that require nothing but a good cleaning to be done to the woodwork. These are usually pieces of historical importance - ones that serve as time capsules of a particular era, or very old family heirlooms. Most often, the pieces we receive don't fall under this category; even the older ones. However, just because a particular piece of furniture is old doesn't make it valuable. If you're unsure what treatment your furniture needs, you should talk with a professional dealer of antiques, and they can help you date, evaluate and appraise it, as well as give you restoration advice. You could also try searching for information on your own. There are countless books and as many websites on the subject. For some good articles on restoration try http://www.antiqueresources.com . Another fine source is http://www.antiquerestorers.com

Touching up

If your furniture is in good condition with only minor scrapes or worn areas, then "touching-up" the wood is probably the most sensible thing to do. Touching-up entails cleaning the wood, rubbing stain or pigments over the damaged areas and clear coating or polishing to mach the original finish.

Oil topcoats

Older pieces usually have rubbed oil finishes of some sort. Again, depending on the age and condition, we might suggest and oil finish such as Linseed Oil or Tung Oil. These finishes are not as durable as ones that are clear coated, but they do protect the wood, provide an authentic looking finish and saturate otherwise dry wood with necessary oils.

 

 

 

Total Refinish

However, we mostly receive furniture that requires the works: striping, sanding, staining and finish. Most customers desire this treatment as it is like getting a new piece of furniture. We start by evaluating the particular piece of furniture to understand what level of treatment it will require. Older pieces (like the rocker in the illustrations) need to be re-glued since the joints begin to loosen with age. In these cases the individual pieces of the chair are carefully taken apart, dowel holes are cleaned out, then the pieces are glued, reassembled, clamped and left to dry overnight. Depending on the abuse the furniture has seen over the years it is then sanded with progressively finer grits of sandpaper until 220 grit is reached. After tack raging, we then apply the stain.

Although you can request particular types of finishes for your furniture, we generally use oil-based stain with lacquer topcoats. This method produces the best results. Water based stains are touted as "good for the environment" - and that may well be so -but they are not good for wood. Over time wood begins to lose its natural oils and so becomes more brittle and dried out, and the older it gets - the drier it becomes. Water based stains will easily darken the wood (sometimes too much), but they do nothing for replenishing the wood. Oil stains apply pigment evenly while at the same time soaking life-giving oil back into the wood. As for the topcoats, lacquer tends to be more "flexible" and is more forgiving (doesn't show scratches as much) than poly-based products. In addition, polyurethane tends to look more plastic-like even with the satin and flat finishes. Lacquer gives a nice sheen while letting the beauty of the wood show through.
After the stain is applied and the excess wiped away, it is left to dry over night. Once dry, the topcoat can be added. We apply several coats of clear sanding lightly between coats to ensure a smooth quality finish.

Whatever refinishing method you choose, rest assured that you will receive the highest quality workmanship that any upholstery shop can produce. Our refinisher has over 15 years experience and has dedicated himself to his art.