Rejuvenating Wooden Furniture

Fine wood, like a fine wine, gets better with age; it just needs looking afterâ€¦ it can last for years and years. Skill rating : Beginner

Introduction...

Of all the modern day materials available to us, wood is still a firm favourite for furniture, both in the home and around the garden. There is something beautiful and appealing about wood. It is organic, it has character and charm.

Solid wood furniture maintenance in the home and garden is a periodic, DIY project involving minimal hard work, time and cost. The overall effect of rejuvenation is one of transformation and further enhancement. Fine wood, like a fine wine, gets better with age; it just needs looking after… it can last for years and years

1: Internal wood â€“ Choosing a polish

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The best wood polishes around will contain a combination of Beeswax and a hard polishing wax such as carnauba; others will contain high gloss polishing silicones. Wood polishes range from neutral, to a wide selection of wood shades. Wood polish may either be in liquid form, or a wax like substance. Wood polishes are intended primarily, for internal use only, and will offer no protection against harsh environmental conditions

Internal wood â€“ Choosing a polish

2: New wood care and protection

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New wood should be sealed with a coat of French polish or clear varnish before wax polishing. This will help prevent the wax being absorbed too deeply into the grain, which can lessen the protection of the all important surface finish. It also provides the wood with a tougher, more durable finish

New wood care and protection

3: Removing old polish

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It may be you wish to strip back years of wax and grime; take it back to bare wood, and start all over again…so the first thing to do in this case, is dip a clump of very fine wire wool into white spirit, and gently rub into the surface coatings, following the grain. When you’ve removed the built layers of wax and polish, swab clean using a rag soaked in white spirit and allow drying before re-polishing.

Removing old polish

4: Re-waxing

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Using a paste type wax and a soft lint free cloth, apply a single coat of wax to the wood and allow to dry for approximately 15-20 minutes, or as directed by the manufacturer. Once dry, apply a second coat using a small ball of extra fine wire wool; again, following the direction of the grain.

Repeat this process five or six times, allowing each coat to dry before applying the next. Leave the final coat overnight, but do not attempt to polish up to a high gloss at this stage. After 24 hours, polish using a soft duster or rag

Re-waxing

5: Liquid wax

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Liquid wax is an alternative preferred by some, both do the same job. With a liquid wax, apply a sealing coat first using a brush. Then, after about an hour or so, work the liquid into the grain using a soft cloth, use a circular motion, and rub the wax well into the wood. Two or three coats are usually sufficient, and after leaving to harden overnight, will produce a high gloss, durable layer of protection