Repainting Furniture

• First look at the general condition of the original finish. Factory finishes are done in lacquer. Over a period of time, the old finish loses its plasticity and hairline cracks are formed. This is not something you would want.
• If your furniture has bare or worn spots, it will be best to strip away the old finish and apply a new coat of paint or polish. However, you must know that if you apply anything on furniture in this condition, the cracks will only show up after the refinishing is done.
• If the general finish of the furniture is good then you can repaint it.
• You will have to remove hardware, if any. You must also detach parts of the furniture that come off. This will make it easier for repainting.

• To remove polish and oil from the furniture, take mineral spirit or naphtha and a clean cloth. Dip the cloth in it and wipe the furniture once or twice.
• Then use sand paper on the whole furniture. This will allow the new finish to stick on better to the furniture.
• After you're done with the sand paper, vacuum clean the furniture and then wipe off with a wet cloth to remove all dust. Ensure that there is no dust on the furniture.
• Use mineral spirit or naphtha to clean the furniture one last time. Allow the piece of furniture to dry for about half an hour before you apply the first coat of paint.
• Use oil based finishes on lacquer furniture. After repainting, let it dry and then use a tack rag to make it shine.
• Ensure that you have paint thinner to clean up everything after repainting.

• Choose a well-ventilated area for working on a piece of wood furniture. Keep a dropcloth on the floor before you begin work. Now, place the furniture piece on the dropcloth.
• You will need to remove screws that hold padding or cushions to the furniture. Then, remove the padding or cushions and set them aside.
• First, you will need to remove the old finish from the piece of furniture. Brush a layer of chemical stripper onto the wood for this purpose. Now, to soften the paint or finish, allow the stripper to settle on the surface of the wood for a while; look for the time recommended by the manufacturer.
• Now, you will need to remove the stripper. Using a round-edge putty knife, scrape the stripper off the wood. Use steel wool for areas on which you can't reach with a knife.
• You might find some stripper residue. Remove it by washing the furniture. Use a damp cloth and a wood cleaner, as specified for your furniture's wood type. Allow the wood to dry for about two to three hours.
• Once it is dry, do examine the wood for any remaining paint or finish. If you find some paint or finish still remaining, you can apply more strippers to remove it off. After stripping, you will need to dry the piece of furniture for around two-three hours.
• Then, use sand paper on the wood to make it that much smoother. Use fine-grit sandpaper for this purpose. In order to remove any residue, wipe the wood using a tack cloth.
• Now, brush a light layer of primer over the wood with a paintbrush. Work in the direction of the wood grain. Then, allow the primer to dry. You may apply one or two more light layers in order to build up a solid coating of the primer. After the final coating, you will have to allow the primer to dry for about two hours.
• Once it is dry, you will have to soften primer by using sandpaper on it. This will remove any brush marks or heavy deposits. To remove dust, use tack cloth and wipe the surface clean.
• Don't forget the process you just employed while applying the primer. You will have to use the same process to brush the paint over the primer. Apply several light layers in the direction of the wood grain. Allow the paint to dry for two-three hours. Once it is dry, you can use sandpaper on the surface to remove imperfections. Then, use the tack cloth to wipe the surface clean.
• You may apply a second coat of paint and let it dry overnight. In the morning, you can use sandpaper to remove any imperfections and clean the surface by wiping it with a damp cloth.
• Do remember to replace any padding or cushions that you may have removed from the furniture.