Restoration or Refinishing? What’s the difference and why it matters.

Not all wood furniture is created equal.  

Depending on the age, value and desired final look, you may decide you want to restore or refinish your piece of furniture. In some cases, it can be nearly unthinkable to refinish a piece of truly antique furniture. Knowing the right direction to take, can keep you from making an unfixable mistake – not to mention save you thousands of dollars.

Some old wood furniture truly deserves to be protected, while other pieces can easily be updated for a more modern or custom look. Talking with an expert can help make sure you make the right decision before work begins.

Let’s talk about the two different approaches and reasons to do both. 

Antique chair repair in Denver, Colorado

Speaking with a furniture expert, can help you make the right decision before work begins.

Refinishing 

For a look that’s renewed, refreshed or totally new.

Refinishing involves removing the old finish and replacing it with a new finish, which can be a lacquer, stain or a paint. Often you can significantly change the look of a piece with refinishing – going from light to dark or vice versa and even highlighting the grain of the wood more or less. 

Paint or colored stains

 If you’re looking to make a significant change to your wood furniture, consider using a colored stain or paint. These options provide countless ways to customize your finished look. 

 

Restoration 

When you want to protect the original finish.

Restoration is a process of  working with the original finish to bring out the beauty of the piece. Typically a less invasive process, restoration is idea for pieces with true historic value or significance. Restoring a piece, our craftsmen work with the existing materials vs. removing the current stain to replace with a new stain as they’ll do during refinishing. 

Furniture restoration in Denver, Colorado
Furniture restoration in Denver, Colorado

We can help determine your best option for your project. call or email us.

A quality finish starts with the right foundation. 

At Ackerman & Sons we use a catalyzed lacquer that is a very dense finish, with molecules that bond to each other in such a way as to prevent penetration by water and chemicals for up to 2.5X longer than a standard lacquer. The particular product we use is one of the few lacquers that meets or exceeds the Kitchen and Bath Association standards for moisture resistance.

Even the densest finish requires proper maintenance and care to deliver years of beauty and functionality. 

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