From time to time, owners of apartments and houses have to decide the fate of old pieces of furniture that no longer fit into the new interior. If you don’t raise your hand to throw them away, then restoration will be the right decision. Of course, resuscitation of a headset made of pressed sawdust and plastic will cost more than acquiring a new one, but if you have good quality furniture, you can try to give it a second life. The article will focus on a chest of drawers, you can restore it yourself. You can use one of the methods presented in the article for this.
Preparation of tools and materials
For restoration work should be prepared:
- grinder;
- spatula;
- brush;
- screwdriver;
- paint roller;
- self-tapping screws;
- screwdrivers;
- wood glue.
If there is no grinder, then it can be replaced with an emery cloth. It is necessary to prepare material of different grain sizes. The paint roller canreplace with a wide flute. If the connections are loose, then fasteners and glue should be prepared. The restoration of the chest of drawers should be carried out using some materials, among them:
- primer composition;
- enamel;
- wood putty;
- varnish.
In order for coloring to be an easy process, you need to take care of the presence of masking tape, it can be replaced with mounting tape.
Preparatory work
First of all, the chest of drawers needs to be inspected. It is important to strengthen loose hinges, nails should be replaced with self-tapping screws. The joints must be smeared with good glue; rust can be removed with a special solution. The old coating can be cleaned when restoring the chest of drawers with sandpaper or a grinder.
If traces of a wood borer are found in the wood, then the material should be treated with an antiseptic. It is important to inspect the piece of furniture for damage. Defects can have varying degrees of complexity. In the presence of dents and chips, they must be covered with a primer. The composition is left until it dries, and after the defects should be treated with putty. It is applied in several layers, waiting for each to dry.
If the dent is sealed with a thick layer, then the material will not hold firmly, and after drying it will be completely covered with cracks. Therefore, the application should be carried out in a thin layer. Deep scratches and cracks can be repaired with furniture wax, the main thing is to choose it from a wide variety on the market. Soway, the wax can be:
- colored;
- transparent;
- soft;
- hard.
After heating, the product is rubbed into damage. If at the final stage the chest of drawers will be painted, you should choose a transparent wax. Minor defects should be removed with sandpaper, and then decorated with a primer.
Dyeing process
Restoration of the chest of drawers at the next stage involves the application of paint. Once you have de alt with the damage, the surface can be prepared for applying a decorative layer. Puttied places are cleaned with sandpaper, and at the next stage, you can apply a primer in several layers, in which case the paint will lie as evenly as possible.
Metallic color compound can be used first. Next, using masking tape, you need to limit those parts that will be intended for applying a different color. You can use black. The contrast will be very effective. New fittings are installed taking into account the selected shade.
Craquelure restoration
The chest of drawers can be restored using the technology of applying craquelure varnish. This technique does not involve large costs, but will allow you to transform the furniture. When dried, such a composition forms peculiar cracks that allow you to create the effect of antiques. To carry out the work you will need:
- acrylic paint;
- primer;
- matte acrylic lacquer;
- one-component craquelure polish;
- wide brush.
Recommendations for the use of varnish
It is important to choose the right craquelure varnish, its consistency should be liquid. The viscous composition is rather poorly applied, and after drying it does not look very attractive. Before applying the varnish should not be stirred, as the resulting bubbles will spoil the effect. It is better to test the technique on other surfaces first. The room should be dry and warm. To prevent small debris and dust from settling on the applied layer, wet cleaning should be done.
Work technology
Do-it-yourself restoration of a chest of drawers by applying craquelure varnish provides for leveling wood defects and repairing cracks. The surface is primed in 3 layers and dried. At the first stage, the main color paint should be applied, usually it is represented by a darker shade that will show through the cracks. The layer should be allowed to dry. Next, the surface is covered with craquelure varnish.
In order for the cracks to be larger, the layer should be made thick enough. The varnish needs to be dried so that it sticks to the fingers, but does not stain them. At the next stage, you can start applying light-colored paint. After a while, you will see how a network of cracks forms on the surface. Finally, acrylic varnish should be applied on top. Restoration of an old chest of drawers using this technology may includeuse of accessories in golden or bronze shades.
Two-phase craquelure technique
If there is an elegant pattern on the chest of drawers that you don’t want to paint over, you can apply the two-phase craquelure technique. Prepare for work:
- oil paint grout;
- sponge;
- brushes;
- acrylic lacquer;
- two-component craquelure polish.
Craquelure varnish in this case will be used to age the surface. This mixture is applied in two stages, the second composition will be used to form cracks. In order to achieve the most effective result, you should use a varnish with a patina effect, it will darken the surface and make it a little cloudy. Clear varnish will not affect the color of the picture in any way.
Restoration of a chest of drawers at home at the first stage involves the preparation of the surface, it should be covered with a patinated layer of varnish. If there is no pattern on a piece of furniture, then you can create it using the decoupage method. The applied layer is dried until sticking, after which you can start applying the second phase of varnish, it is aged to the same state. Cracks that appear should be treated with a grout using a sponge. You can ennoble the patterns with gold powder, this will give the chest of drawers a presentable look. Do-it-yourself restoration of an old chest of drawers involves fixing the result, this can be done by applying a layer of acrylic lacquer.
Decoupage restoration
This technology is verypopular today. You can implement it with the help of pictures that you can choose yourself. The most primitive chest of drawers can be made the center of the interior. To do this, prepare:
Instructions
If you decide to restore the chest of drawers yourself, photos of furniture "reanimated" by other masters will certainly help you make your choice. After reviewing them, you can understand which technology is better to use. If you prefer decoupage, then first you should cover the surface with a primer and paint it in the desired color, which will be in harmony with the main shade of the picture. Images are cut out and applied to the surface. Pictures are soaked in water after you mark their location on the chest of drawers. Apply glue to the marked areas of the piece of furniture, and then attach pictures. As soon as they dry, you should cover the base with varnish in 2 layers.
Conclusion
If you restore a chest of drawers with your own hands at home according to one of the above methods, then you will not want to part with a piece of furniture that was just recently preparing to be taken to a landfill. The chest of drawers after the update will be able to become the center of attention in the room.
