DIY wood table repair

Probably, many have an old rare table somewhere in the closet or in the attic, which the hand does not rise to throw away. In this article, we will try to convince you not to throw it away, but to give a new life. Moreover, this is relevant in our time, when there is a continuous high cost. It is much cheaper to do a table repair with your own hands and get an exclusive designer item, which will surprise all your friends when you look at it.

Restoration of furniture is a rather exciting process and, if desired, anyone can try it.

We will describe the restoration of the table using the example of a small table, which you see in the photo above.

Before starting repair work, you need to stock up on the following tools and materials:

• Hammer
• Screwdriver
• Pliers
• Sandpaper of different types of grain;
• Brushes;
• Varnish or paint;
• Impregnation for wood;
• Wood putty;
• Rubber spatula;
• Joiner's glue or PVA glue;
• Veneer.

We examine the table and determine which defects are present on the product. It can be:

• scratches and dents
• erased varnish,
• damaged legs that wobble.

If the legs are very loose, it is better to disassemble the table and carry out further restoration disassembled.

The purpose of this process is to remove the old paintwork and prepare the table for subsequent refinishing.

For sanding, we need a sandpaper. We begin to grind the product with a coarse-grained sandpaper, we go in a circular motion along the entire table: along the table top, legs and the side belt.

Further, for better removal of old varnish and leveling the surface, you can use a finer sandpaper. If you have a sander, the sanding process will be much faster.

When sanding, it is important not to overdo it or sand down holes.

If the table is made of natural wood, it is better to treat it with a special impregnation, which will protect it from pests and diseases.

Leave the parts to dry for a while. Then we cover all the cracks with putty. After complete drying, we grind the putty again with a fine sandpaper

If the table is made of chipboard, you need to inspect the table top and determine if there are bubbles on the surface. If there is, then the veneer is peeling.

Such a defect can be corrected by making an incision on the surface of the bubble with a thin knife. After that, you need to apply glue with a syringe into the hole. Then we take a regular iron and iron the surface of the table until the veneer sticks.

Let's start painting. We take paint or varnish, depending on your taste, brush and paint. You may need to paint in two or three coats.

This is determined in the course of restoration work, depending on what kind of appearance we want to get. Let the paint dry well.

When all the parts are well dry, we proceed to the assembly of the product.

We leave the assembled furniture until the glue is completely dry and the parts set.

So we examined the main stages of the restoration of a wooden table. We wish you to try to do the repair yourself and be satisfied with the result.

It is sometimes expensive to buy good furniture. If you have an old table that you do not use, because its appearance has deteriorated over the years, we will tell you a few simple ways to return it to its former beauty with your own hands, and, perhaps, make it a highlight of your interior.

Before decorating the table, in one way or another, you need to inspect it in order to assess its condition, then carry out the necessary repair work with your own hands, and then prepare the surface for decoration.

Surface preparation - obligatory stage of restoration... It is produced in the following sequence:

1. We remove the old coating. It is not recommended to use solvents, they can corrode wood. Better to use coarse sandpaper and a sander.
2. We also use sandpaper for the carved legs. Using a screwdriver or knife to clean the surface will almost certainly ruin the wood. In especially severe cases, you can gently use a thin wire tangle, or use a thinner by dabbing a small amount on a cotton swab.
3. After completing the removal of the old coating, prime the surface. The primer will provide the wood with additional protection and prepare it for filling small cracks and defects.
4. It is recommended to use a special putty for wooden surfaces. It can be applied when all the primer has been absorbed.
5. Wait until the putty is completely dry and once again go over the table surface with fine sandpaper and cover again with a thin layer of primer.
6. Now you can start the restoration and decoration with your own hands.

This option great for beginners, it will not require any special knowledge or skills from you.

1. Repair the table and prepare the surface.
2. Stir the paint thoroughly.
3. Use a soft brush to gently paint along the grain. You need to start from the table top, and gradually go down. This is necessary to avoid paint drips.
4. Apply the paint in two layers and wait until it dries.
5. Apply varnish in the same way. The varnish can be from one to three layers, depending on what degree of gloss you want to get in the end.
6. Instead of paint, you can use solutions that give furniture surfaces a gold or silver color.

A simple do-it-yourself table restoration for beginners is now complete.

And since there is many different technologies for the restoration and alteration of furniture, we will consider other options.

If tabletop in use was scratched, or dents appeared on its surface, you can revet it with your own hands with a mosaic that will hide all defects and return the table to its former beauty.

• Mosaic in canvas
• Sandpaper
• Tile adhesive
• Dye
• Putty knife
• Scissors
• Scotch

1. Check if the legs are holding well. If necessary, secure them properly with self-tapping screws.
2. Degrease the countertops and legs with alcohol or acetone.
3. Sand and sand the surfaces.
4. Places that cannot be sanded, putty and then sand.
5. Cover all surfaces with a coat of paint. Leave until dry. For work, it is better to use spray paint.
6. Apply glue in a good layer on the table surface.
7. Cut the mosaic and glue the mesh down. Press down the mosaic and smooth it down. Postpone work until the glue has completely hardened.
8. Gently glue the painted edges with tape and grout the mosaic.
9. Wipe the table surface with a damp sponge.
10. After a day, wipe the table with a small amount of vegetable oil.

Our do-it-yourself mosaic table is ready.

If the table top has no obvious defects, then it is quite possible to do with decorating the surface with drawings.

• Paints
• Putty and putty knife
• Sandpaper
• Varnish
• Brushes
• Scotch

1. We grind the old surface, sand and putty.
2. We paint the countertop with paint in the base color.
3. We apply a drawing. You can use a special stencil, apply asymmetrical multi-colored splashes, or depict an elaborate ornament.You can make colored stripes by gluing tape in straight lines to the countertop and painting over the stripes between the tape.
4. After the drawing is completely dry, cover the finished tabletop with varnish and leave to dry.

A table decorated with do-it-yourself drawings can be used for its intended purpose.

One of the most simple, budgetary ways furniture surface restoration - wallpapering the table-top.

To do this, you will need:

• Suitable wallpaper
• Wide head nails
• Glue
• Hammer
• Varnish
• Dye
• Brushes

1. We degrease the countertop.
2. Cover the surface with paint and leave to dry.
3. We measure and cut out a sheet of wallpaper to the size of the countertop.
4. We glue the wallpaper, carefully smoothing it to avoid the appearance of irregularities and bubbles.
5. We fold the ends of the wallpaper under the tabletop and glue it.
6. On top of the wallpaper, if desired, you can apply a frame or some kind of drawing.
7. Fix the wallpaper with nails along the contour.
8. Cover the product with varnish and leave to dry.

Decorating the countertop with do-it-yourself wallpaper is complete.

Decoupage technique is perfect suitable for restoration old furniture. On sale there is a huge variety of napkins and decoupage applications. With the help of this technology, you can decorate not only the table top of the table, but also the sides and even the legs.

• Decoupage napkins
• PVA glue
• Brush
• Varnish

If napkins for decoupage you could not find, instead of drawing from them, you can transfer an image from newspapers or magazines to the surface of the table.

Procedure:

1. Preparing the table surface.
2. We transfer the drawing with glue to the countertop and other surfaces. We are waiting for everything to dry.
3. We cover the table with varnish.

It remains to wait until it is completely dry and the table design using decoupage technique is ready.

If your the table hasn't suffered too much from time, however, its appearance is no longer very good, and varnishing requires replacement, you can do this:

1. We carry out surface preparation as described above. We process the surface first with a coarse grinder disc, and then with a fine one.
2. We assess the condition of the legs, if necessary, replace them with new ones.
3. After filling the surfaces, degrease the table parts with a special compound.
4. Apply a layer of acrylic primer and wait for it to dry.
5. We grind the surface by hand.
6. You can proceed to varnishing. For work, choose a high-quality varnish a couple of shades darker than the original coating and a high-quality brush.
7. We apply three layers of varnish intermittently and again wait for complete drying.
8. Now is the time to apply the protective coating. Most often they are wax. Take some wax on a soft cloth and rub it thoroughly onto the tabletop. It takes about a week for the wax to completely harden and absorb. It is too early to use the table at this time.

After a week, our refurbished table is ready.

1. Stick a self-adhesive film on the table surface.
2. Cover the tabletop with oilcloth, nailing it under the table with a construction stapler.
3. If the table top cannot be repaired, you can replace it with glass and install a beautiful backlighting from below or cover the table surface with ceramic tiles.

As seen from practice table restoration process does not tolerate fuss. A lot of time can pass between the start of work and the receipt of the finished result. But if you approach the matter with all responsibility and thoroughness, your table will turn out to be no worse than a new one.

Do not rush to throw out the old table. He has served you for many years and will serve you more if you give him a little attention.

The table can be decorated in such a way that it will compete with any designer thing.

New life can be breathed in using completely different methods and techniques.

Let's consider the most common methods.

• painting;
• veneering (pasting an old wooden surface with veneer);
• pasting with self-adhesive film;
• decoupage (application of the table with drawings from napkins, rice or banana paper);
• facing with tiles;
• painting the table using a stencil (through a fabric, paper or plastic stencil);
• decor with the help of leaf (foil, which is glued in the form of a pattern).

We will look at some of the decoration methods in this article in a little more detail. In addition, you can turn an old table into a modern and original design element using a regular LED strip. The illuminated table will perfectly fit into any interior.

To return the old table to its former beauty, we need the following:

• Sander;
• sandpaper;
• paint for wood;
• impregnation;
• primer;
• primer roller;
• varnish (colored or colorless);
• brushes for each type of coating.

As well as personal protective equipment:

• protective glasses;
• respirator;
• work gloves.

Step 1. First you need to inspect the table for breakages, cracks, scratches. If there are breakdowns, they must be eliminated. We check all the bolts on the legs and the table top, tighten them.
The best option would be to disassemble the table in detail, clean it from dirt and dust, then reassemble it. You can add glue to all attachment points and wait until it dries (at least 15 hours).

Step 2. Next, you need to grind the table with a machine or sand it by hand. This allows you to identify all problem areas that were not visible before.
Removing old paint and varnish is a very laborious and time-consuming process. We clean the surface with fine-grained and medium-grained sandpaper.

Note! The wood should be sanded along the grain. Improper processing results in hard-to-remove defects.

Step 3. All identified cracks and deep scratches must be repaired with a putty. Dry the patches completely. Next, we clean and grind the surface again.

Step 4. We degrease the table with acetone and prime its surface. A universal primer is suitable for this. Instead of impregnation, we prime the tabletop 2-3 times, completely drying each layer.

Step 5. Grinding the table surface again.

Step 6. If the countertop has no scratches, chips or cracks, you can treat it with a water-repellent impregnation and cover it with several layers of stain or varnish. This will give a unique fresh wood effect.

Step 7. If the surface condition is unimportant or the subsequent decoration of the table is planned, it is necessary to paint it. Choosing a water-based paint. Apply with a large brush (it is better if it is not a painting, but an artistic one). When the paint dries, apply a second coat. Application should be quick, short strokes, thin layers. We dry the table for at least 4 days.

Note! Dark paint should be applied in two to three coats to avoid light gaps.

Painting is one of the most popular techniques for decorating interiors and household items. There are several options for painting furniture: art painting with a thin brush, painting through a stencil (template), painting with stamps.

For a glass countertop, an excellent solution is a bright and airy painting with stained glass paints.

Painting with tulle or any other lace looks very nice. To apply an openwork pattern to the surface of the table, you need to attach the tulle to the table top (it is advisable to fix it with tape on the back side).

We paint the table in the same way as through a regular stencil, using a sponge, roller or spray paint. We select the color of the enamel contrasting with the color of the surface.

Glass table with stained glass painting.

Note! The painting is applied to the glass table top from the inside, the front side remains smooth.

First we lay out the frame mosaic elements with tile glue. We try to make the seams as identical as possible. Then, from the center of the table, we begin to lay out the tiles (or pieces of tiles). Laying tiles of different colors would be an interesting solution. From above, the tiles are covered with a special grout.To avoid showing the ends of the tiles, you can attach plastic corners to the edges of the table in the color of the tile grout.

Facing the countertop with mosaic tiles.

Mosaic pattern from pieces of tile.

In the mosaic technique, you can use not only tiles, but also other materials and a wide variety of objects - shells, pebbles, pieces of glass, eggshells, etc.

Volumetric decor using eggshells.

Potal is the thinnest sheets of various metal alloys, which are used to imitate any surface in gold, bronze or silver. The gilding technique is often used in furniture decoration along with other decorative techniques.

To begin with, draw a stencil on which the gold leaf will be glued. Then we apply glue on it with a thin brush.

We carefully put the sheets of potted on the glue. With a soft brush, carefully remove unnecessary parts of the sheet.

The thicker the brush with which we apply the glue, the thicker the gold leaf pattern will be.

Note! The particles of the sheets that were left over from decorating the countertop can be collected and used again in the form of a powder.

To begin with, the tabletop is completely covered with one color. After drying, you need to stick masking tape, creating a stencil from it for other colors.

With the help of a roller or brush, all other colors are applied one after the other. After that, the masking tape is removed.

On a colored background, you can draw or glue various pictures.

Finally, the table must be covered with two coats of clear varnish. This will add strength to the decor and protect it from external influences. The varnish can be glossy or matte.

How to restore an old table with veneering, see the video: