How to restore furniture: polished, veneered, wooden

Has the old furniture lost its former luster? tired, but sorry to throw it away? All this is fixable: you can improve the appearance so that no one will think that the furniture is for many years. Do-it-yourself furniture restoration is painstaking work. But you don't have to do anything super complicated. Some methods are so simple that everyone can handle it (this is, of course, not about antiques).

Restoration of wooden surfaces

No matter how carefully the furniture is handled, scuffs, scratches, stains still occur. They are not difficult to eliminate. The main thing is to know how and with what.

    1. If the wood surface has simply lost its luster, look for a wood care product that contains orange oil. Take a clean sponge, slightly dampen it and heat it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Sprayingmeans from a spray bottle, then wipe with a hot sponge (hands should be in rubber gloves with a spray inside).

      A hot sponge and orange oil cleaner will restore the shine of wood furniture

      A hot sponge and orange oil cleaner will restore the shine of wood furniture

    2. If the tree has scuffs, stains, you can try to cope with them by rubbing with a banana skin. It helps well with minor damage.
    3. More serious stains require more serious treatment. These are touch-up markers (available in stores selling furniture accessories), denatured alcohol and wax. First, we clean the surface (dish detergent diluted in water is the best solution). We wipe the wood that has dried after cleaning with alcohol: with a moistened swab, three well-lightened places. In most cases, the color is restored. In deep scratches, alcohol does not restore the color; they are painted over with a marker of a suitable color. To give a shine, the surface on top is covered with wax and polished with a soft cloth.

      Such transformations are possible using a marker, alcohol and wax

      Such transformations are possible using a marker, alcohol and wax.

    4. If you need to smooth out minor irregularities, you can use a nail file. With scrupulous work, it is easier to wield it than sandpaper.
    5. If the wood is locally swollen from moisture: put a leaking vessel, you can quickly get rid of the defect and neutralize its consequences by mixing salt and olive oil. The gruel is applied to the damage and rubbed in a circular motion. Leave for 20-30 minutes. The salt will draw out the water and the olive oil will restore elasticity to the fibers.
    6. If there are chips, you cannot do without putty. Suitable for both wood special and automotive. The best way is to buy a light one and add color to it as needed. The chip is smeared, a little putty is smeared over the adjacent surface. After drying, everything is well leveled with fine-grain sandpaper.

You may be interested to read, what are the shelves on the wall (with drawings).

Restoring polish

Restoring a layer of varnish is difficult. Any furniture restoration begins with cleaning and degreasing and repairing the lacquer coating too. We use dishwashing detergent diluted in water: safe and reliable. After drying, we proceed to update the polish.

  • On dark furniture, the scratch can be painted over with iodine, achieving the desired color with the number of layers or diluting it with water. If you have furniture markers, you can use them.
  • Deep scratches that have turned white cannot be painted over. There are other methods:
    • Make a mastic with 4 parts melted wax and 3 parts turpentine. This paste is applied to the polish and rubbed with a soft cloth.
    • If you have a shoe polish of a suitable color, you can cover it with it, and then polish everything with a cloth.

      Scratches are painted over, then the coating is restored

      Scratches are painted over, then the coating is restored

  • Stains of unknown or known origin are removed with clean gasoline. A soft cloth is moistened and rubbed.For particularly difficult cases, multiple treatments may be required, but sooner or later any stains will be removed. Then everything is polished with a soft cloth to a shine. A mixture of linseed oil with denatured alcohol will help to restore it.
  • If the stains remain from hot - white circles from cups or other objects, they are wiped with alcohol. You can also repeat it several times. After the stain has disappeared, the surface is renewed with a mixture of linseed oil and denatured alcohol.
  • It is easier to remove especially deep hot spots with a mixture of drying oil and alcohol. This composition is smeared with a stain until it disappears completely. Then wipe with alcohol and polish with a rag.

You can simply refresh the faded polish on furniture with do-it-yourself mixtures:

  1. Two parts each of linseed oil and turpentine and one part vinegar. All mix, apply with a swab, wait until it is absorbed and polished.
  2. Mix oil and beer in equal parts and wipe the furniture with this composition. After absorbed, grate.
  3. A more shiny surface will be if the beer is boiled with a piece of wax, cooled and applied slightly warm to furniture. When the composition is absorbed, the surface is rubbed to a shine.

A few more recipes in the video.

How to remove polish from furniture

Quite often you have to remove the polish: this is not the most fashionable finish. Modern furniture is most often painted with opaque or tinted paints, and the surface is matte. In any case, the polish must be removed. There are several ways. Since varnishes are different in composition, they have to be selected empirically. But one of the methods should work.

  1. You can mechanically remove old polish from furniture. If you have a grinder, the process will go faster, if not, take coarse sandpaper and clean off the varnish layer until wood appears. Then take a fine grain and grind it to an even surface. Mechanical removal does not always work. Sometimes even a grinder does not work: the polishing does not peel off, but begins to melt and stink. Then the tactics are changed.
  2. You will need a piece of old glass. You put on gloves and break it into several fragments. With the sharp edges that have formed, brush off the coating to the wood. If there are chamfers and indentations, it is convenient to scrape them out with sharp edges. After the main layer of polishing is removed, with fine-grain sandpaper, everything is brought to a smooth state.

    polishing can only be scraped off with glass

    Do-it-yourself furniture restoration often requires harsh measures: some types of polishing can only be scraped off with glass

  3. If working with glass does not appeal to you, chemical methods remain. There are ready-made polish removers. You can work with them either in the open air or in a draft: fumes are harmful. How to remove polish - read on the packaging. Funds vary, and the duration and order of processing may vary.

How to paint polished furniture

If the old furniture was prepared for painting, it must be cleaned of dust, wiped with a damp cloth and allowed to dry. After that, level everything with putty, level all irregularities, wait until it dries. Take sandpaper and sand again, first with medium, then fine grain. Next, apply a layer of primer and wait for it to dry.

Such damage to the veneer is restored in two stages. First, the swelling is eliminated, then the scratch is painted over and the coating is restored

Such damage to the veneer is restored in two stages. First, the swelling is eliminated, then the scratch is painted over and the coating is restored

If the veneer is glued with alcohol glue, you can return the swollen part to its place by ironing it through a cloth with a hot iron. But do not overheat the iron: the veneer can stretch. The degree of heating is medium.

If ironing through a dry cloth does not work, try repeating the operation with a damp cloth (wet it and wring it out well). There is a chance that the wood will swell and become more elastic.For reliable fixation of the bulge, you can insert PVA there, and then heat it with an iron.

If the bulge is cracked, you can also try to seal it with warming up (through a rag). If it doesn't work, tear off the peeled piece. Do not cut, but break off: on the veneer, fractures after restoration are less noticeable than cuts. Therefore, you break off the lagging piece. From the place of damage and a piece of veneer, clean off the old glue (with sandpaper or a nail file - depending on the size). Further, the repair of the veneer on the furniture is standard: they smeared it with PVA glue, laid it, aligning the fracture lines, laid a thick cloth on top and put the load to dry.

Such veneer flaking can most likely be eliminated simply by ironing it with an iron.

Such veneer flaking can most likely be eliminated simply by ironing it with an iron.

Scratches and traces of restoration on veneer are removed in the same way as on wood: they are painted over with a furniture marker of a suitable shade. If the scratch is deep, a little melted furniture wax is applied to it (with a spatula). After drying, the wax is ground, if necessary, using fine-grain sandpaper, but after such processing, the restored piece is covered with a layer of varnish.

Do-it-yourself furniture restoration requires patience and accuracy. We have to act gradually and methodically: smeared, wait for drying, leveled, smeared again, etc. Sometimes you have to try several methods: damage can be different, as well as the materials used in the manufacture (glue, varnishes, etc.). But the furniture will look much better as a result.

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Comments 122
  1. Olga
    06/07/2016 at 13:13 - Reply

    Thank you!

    • Sergey Pavlovich
      02/18/2018 at 21:15 - Reply

      Thank you very much for the helpful advice.

  2. Victoria
    06/15/2016 at 14:59 - Reply

    Very large and useful material. I read for a very long time, even a little tired. Thank you!

    • Administrator
      06/15/2016 at 15:03 - Reply

      Thank you, we tried not to miss anything - so that we could independently repair the damage to the furniture.

      • Irina
        09/08/2019 at 11:01 - Reply

        Help you left a sunflower on an oak table and it rotted. Now on the table is a black blurry spot. Can I do something

  3. Marina
    06/30/2016 at 11:50 - Reply

    Thank you. Very handy. I am now restoring a chess table, whose board pattern is lined with veneer and has been torn off in many places. I want to putty on these places, but I don’t understand what to do next. I am going to varnish the table, and highlight the dark cells with stain. Tell me, please, the better to prime and in general the sequence of actions after puttying.

    • Administrator
      06/30/2016 at 12:03 - Reply

      It's my pleasure. The sequence is simple. Putty, dried, took sandpaper with a very fine grain, cleaned off all excess. If the result is normal, good, if not, putty again, then sand. Then - paint dark cells with stain. When dry - a primer for varnish (depending on the type of varnish you choose), after the primer, varnish has dried. How many layers - depending on desire and the degree of gloss you want to have. There is a separate article on varnishing - there is a lot of polishing. If interested - read here

      • Marina
        06/30/2016 at 18:01 - Reply

        Thank you!!!! You helped me a lot!

  4. Love
    08/06/2016 at 20:19 - Reply

    Tell me what to do. There was a battery on the table, and the acid leaked and now there is a white mark the size of the battery. Table top in mahogany color.

    • Administrator
      08/06/2016 at 20:28 - Reply

      Except how to paint over with a marker of a suitable color, there are no other ideas ((But with markers, you also need to be careful, do not try to paint exactly in one pass. You need to somehow recreate the texture of the wood.It is best done with strokes along the wood fibers.

  5. Nataliya
    08/17/2016 at 10:26 - Reply

    Hello! Please help with advice. Something was placed on the lacquered surface of your favorite piano (brown "Ukraine" from the 70s, if you remember). The question is - what, the guests have tried and are not recognized. Remained a matte spot of a rectangular size, approximately the size of a book. So far, nothing has been done. Tell me, can I do something? Although this is just a thing, the problem saddens. Thank you!

    • Administrator
      08/17/2016 at 10:39 - Reply

      Hello! If the stain is not discolored, you can try a regular polish first. If that doesn't work, try smearing with a mixture of linseed oil and denatured alcohol and buffing a little (rub with a soft cloth for a long time). If there is whitening, try rubbing with well-refined gasoline, alcohol, and a mixture of drying oil and alcohol. Start with gasoline, if it doesn't help, try a different composition. It is necessary to rub with each substance for a long time and persistently. After the desired result is achieved, brush (rub) with a mixture of linseed oil and denatured alcohol.

  6. Nataliya
    08/18/2016 at 16:28 - Reply

    Thank you! No, there is no whitening, only a haze of gloss .. let's try, linseed oil will come in handy in any case)

    • Antropova
      12/08/2017 at 08:41 - Reply

      Hello! At the bedside table made of veneered chipboard, the veneer was peeled off and lost in pieces. Is it possible to peel off the entire veneer to the plate itself and already sand the plate itself, prime it and paint it? There is a curbstone in the nursery, I want to make sure that my son does not breathe this rubbish

  7. elsa
    08/31/2016 at 22:20 - Reply

    good day. the doors on the vanity cabinet were sealed with tape (from the child). the tape has come off along with the coating. how is it possible to repair the damage? Thank you.

    • Administrator
      08/31/2016 at 22:49 - Reply

      I understand that this is a veneer? Then so. Tear off the pieces from the tape, peel them from the glue. The places where the pieces were torn off are also cleaned from the glue (with fine sandpaper, trying not to scratch the veneer that is nearby). Then remove the dust and wipe it with alcohol. Trying on where the pieces "fit". If there are too light spots in the places of faults, they can be tinted with a marker of a suitable color. Spread with glue, glue, remove the excess immediately. Wait until it dries. Then you can paint over the light stripes with a marker (furniture), if any. Something like this.

  8. elsa
    09/01/2016 at 10:26 - Reply

    Thank you. I'll just try to cover it up with a marker :-)

  9. Natalia
    09/26/2016 at 10:48 - Reply

    Hello! A very interesting article, but I did not find the answer to my question. If you will, I will ask it here. Old solid wood furniture, dark Red, when wiped with a wet cloth - the color and smoothness of the wood is ideal. When it dries, a dirty color with stains appears in embossed places. Is it possible to fix this? Will a new coat of polish help?

    • Administrator
      09/26/2016 at 17:15 - Reply

      Hello! It is not entirely clear from your words whether the furniture is polished or not. If the furniture is not polished, look for a wood furniture cleaner with orange oil or wax. At polishing, you can try beer with wax (take a dark beer), but first test this tool on a small piece hidden from view. It should be good, but you never know ... If the furniture is still polished, a mixture of vegetable oil, turpentine (in two parts) and a part of vinegar refreshes the color well. Apply this composition, wait until it is absorbed, then rub until shiny. But it is better to test all the means first.

  10. natalia
    11/17/2016 at 18:36 - Reply

    Hello, by chance a drop of nail polish remover got on the wooden table, I rubbed this drop with a cotton pad .. But along with the drop, the paint left the table. How can I cover this stain?

    • Administrator
      11/17/2016 at 18:41 - Reply

      Try using banana peel or rubbing alcohol first (rub in for a long time), if not, use furniture markers.

  11. Konstantin
    11/26/2016 at 11:37 - Reply

    Hello, please tell me! on an old mahogany veneered table covered with lacquer, there is a strip of lacquer wear about 20mm wide practically along the entire table and at a certain viewing angle it appears and contrasts! Is it possible to eliminate this defect by polishing and in what way? ...

    • Administrator
      11/26/2016 at 11:55 - Reply

      Hello! The wear of the varnish can be restored - polished. This requires a sander and emery with very fine grain. Read more about polishing in this article... There is a sequence of actions and brands of skins.

  12. Maxim
    04.12.2016 at 11:18 - Reply

    Please advise what can be done with the swollen door (painted chipboard) of the bathroom cabinet?
    It is difficult to order a new one. the door is not flat (bent along a radius of about 700 mm).
    Sand swollen areas, varnish, then paint?

    • Administrator
      04.12.2016 at 12:15 - Reply

      First you need to dry it, hold it in a dry room for at least a few days, but not near the battery. When it dries up already look what needs to be done - if necessary - remove the excess. Then, preferably with a water-repellent impregnation. The ends, I know, are coated with silicone for aquariums, it helps well. But I find it difficult to say what to impregnate the entire surface with. Perhaps you are right, with varnish (better in several layers, applied in different directions) and then with paint.

  13. Irina
    01/16/2017 at 18:21 - Reply

    Please tell me what can be done. Lacquer burst on the countertop. Italian furniture.
    Lpk left with a picture.

    • Administrator
      01/16/2017 at 10:45 PM - Reply

      Just burst? You can try to warm it up a little (preferably with a construction hairdryer), sink into the crack of the glue, press it with something heavy and leave it for a while. Just make sure that the glue does not squeeze out onto the surface or wipe it off immediately, otherwise an ugly stain will appear.

      • Irina
        17.01.2017 at 11:45 - Reply

        Thanks for the answer! The varnish burst and stumbled with a 1cm wide skayeshek. Rose by 2mm.

        • Administrator
          01/17/2017 at 11:57 - Reply

          Then something like that should be done. Warm up with an iron through a rag, but this is more difficult to control, although you can also try.

          • Irina
            01/20/2017 at 11:23 -

            Thank you! Hope everything works out! Very grateful!

  14. Irina2
    01/27/2017 at 18:41 - Reply

    Hello! Please tell me what to do. Super-glue got on the door, I washed it with Dimexide, but there were cloudy white spots. What can you do with them?

    • Administrator
      01/27/2017 at 20:50 - Reply

      And what about the door?

  15. Maria
    01/28/2017 at 18:10 - Reply

    Help me please! Burned the surface of the shelf with a candle. Small round spot, what to do?

    • Administrator
      01/28/2017 at 18:32 - Reply

      What shelf? What's damaged? Varnish? Veneer? What does the stain look like? Is it dark, light? More information needed.

  16. Vasilisa
    31.01.2017 at 05:40 - Reply

    Hello ! Tell me please. The wooden wall is painted with matt paint. There were traces of scotch tape on it, rubbed with a hard sponge and the matte layer peeled off. Now these scuffs are shiny. How to eliminate shine?

    • Administrator
      31.01.2017 at 08:44 - Reply

      With paint, you can only paint over the affected areas with the same composition. Unfortunately, I don’t know any other means.

  17. Svetlana
    02/17/2017 at 06:40 - Reply

    Hello! They put it hot on the polished surface of the chest of drawers, the varnish completely peeled off to the wooden surface. A medium-sized beach was formed. How to restore the varnished surface in a given place. What you can do yourself to have a varnished surface again.

    • Administrator
      02.24.2017 at 08:17 - Reply

      Hello! In your case, just remove the polish from the entire upper surface, and then polish everything again. A fragment will not work. How to polish furniture read here.

  18. Alexander
    03/19/2017 at 22:59 - Reply

    Good evening! Tell me, I erased the adhesive from the plaster from the veneer and rubbed a little of the top layer, there was a stain, it looks like a wiped one. Please tell me how you can restore it if possible? Thank you

    • Administrator
      03/20/2017 at 08:22 - Reply

      Kind! You can try to restore the color with a suitable furniture marker. But it must be matched very closely in color, then applied with short strokes in the direction of the veneer grain. In general, this can only be made worse. Any old furniture to practice on? Then it might turn out well. In general, a common furniture care product can help. It can smooth out the stain.

      • Alexander
        03/20/2017 at 18:32 - Reply

        Will wax polish work?

        • Administrator
          03/20/2017 at 20:59 - Reply

          Generally, yes, but try somewhere on the part that is not visible. At the same time evaluate the effect.

          • Alexander
            03/20/2017 at 22:00 -

            Thank you!

  19. Victoria
    03/29/2017 at 20:51 - Reply

    Thanks for the interesting article! But I did not find in it the answer to the solution to my problem:
    The polished surface of the wooden parts of the furniture in the boat's cabin dimmed, became hazy - whitish in places. It's not from the sun, it doesn't get there. How can the surface be restored?

    • Administrator
      03/30/2017 at 07:38 - Reply

      To find a product for restoring polish on wood, it is advisable to know the origin of the stain. In your case, the reason is unclear, so you have to try everything that can help. Conduct experiments on the damaged area that is least striking. Here are some things to try:

      • Take a hair dryer (preferably a construction one, but you can also use a powerful one) and warm up the surface of the spot. But be careful with the thermal regime. First, set the temperature to low and move the nozzle away. If there is any improvement, you can gradually increase the temperature or shorten the distance. Again! Caution!
      • Apply a little mayonnaise, leave for an hour and a half, rinse.
      • Rub with alcohol
      • Dissolve ammonia in water in a 1: 1 ratio, wipe.
      • Wipe with a saturated solution of soda or soda.
      • Shift the vinegar and olive oil in equal parts, moisten a swab and wipe the whitish stain on the varnished surface

      All this must be tried very delicately. Be especially careful with heating.

  20. Natasha
    04/14/2017 at 23:05 - Reply

    Good evening! Great article, lots of useful tips! Please help me with advice.
    Don't laugh, but we decided to use the unnecessary door as a countertop for the dining table. The door surface is veneered. We decided to treat this surface with heated linseed oil, but nowhere is it written whether this method is suitable for veneer. If so, is it necessary to pre-clean the veneer surface, that is, we are talking about whether oil is absorbed into the veneer and how will it behave? And if it is impossible to oil on the veneer, then how to process this veneer ??

  21. Elena
    04/27/2017 at 19:20 - Reply

    Good day.
    Tell me what to do….
    Laundry detergent is embedded in the decorative wooden detail of the sofa armrest. A bright spot appeared, what should I do?

    • Administrator
      04/28/2017 at 06:53 - Reply

      How are the armrests processed? Are they varnished or not?

  22. Elena
    04/28/2017 at 08:10 - Reply

    Yes, lacquered.

    • Administrator
      04/28/2017 at 08:16 - Reply

      First, try all the products described in the article (oils, alcohol, ammonia, etc.). If it does not help, there is only one way out - to replace the coating.

  23. Elena
    04/28/2017 at 08:18 - Reply

    Thank you very much.

  24. Malika
    06/09/2017 at 10:56 - Reply

    Hello,
    We have a wardrobe. The door is covered with varnished mahogany veneer. The door has partially faded from the sun - the surface has turned white (with a transition from whitish to the native "red" color). Treatment with iodine solution did not give a result (with direct processing, the color was restored, but after drying, no trace of iodine remained). What do you recommend? Thank you in advance.

  25. valery
    06/26/2017 at 19:01 - Reply

    Of 3 identical doors, we have a dark veneered door to the bathroom (due to poor ventilation), the veneer is slightly but noticeably cracked in some places. ) according to the water-repellent effect?

    • Administrator
      06/26/2017 at 21:07 - Reply

      It seems to me easier to tidy up the bathroom doors. First, glue the veneer, and then cover the doors with a waterproof compound. Look at those that are used for baths. There are impregnations on a different basis. I personally like oil based ones more - they do not shine, they retain the effect for a long time. They fit perfectly with wood, but I don't know how with veneer. Perhaps you should ask consultants, for example, on the Tikkurilla website ... maybe they will tell you what.

  26. Elena
    06/29/2017 at 20:26 - Reply

    Hello. A very useful article, but I have a question - the polish on the countertop has burst (I think from old age), the edges have slightly raised, what can be done: glue and a hairdryer or something else?

    • Administrator
      06/29/2017 at 20:43 - Reply

      You can try glue and a hair dryer. If it doesn't work out, I'm afraid there is only one recipe - to remove the old one and varnish it over = new.

      • Elena
        06/29/2017 at 21:00 - Reply

        Thank you. And another question: is it possible to remove colored varnish from old Viennese chairs with an auto wash (in the form of a roller)?

  27. Elena
    08/13/2017 at 16:58 - Reply

    Good day! put a candle and it burned the shelf from above AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA help save the shelf, there is a burnt circle of 1.5 cm .. save, help)))))))))))

    • Administrator
      08/13/2017 at 18:53 - Reply

      Good day. Unfortunately, there is no way to restore the burnt tree. You can only try to cover it with putty, and then with a similar veneer ... or what kind of finish you have ...

  28. Natalia
    09/14/2017 at 16:59 - Reply

    Good day! On the surface of the coffee table, on a thick blanket, the clothes were ironed with steam. The lacquer surface has turned white. What to do?

    • Administrator
      09/14/2017 at 21:54 - Reply

      Good day! Try all the ways to renew the polish, starting with the most innocuous - rub with a banana peel, oil, etc.

      • Natalia
        09/15/2017 at 12:26 pm - Reply

        Thank you!

  29. Seryoga
    10/07/2017 at 10:07 - Reply

    Good afternoon, tell me please, they put a damp rag on the wall in the hall, there is a white spot! The furniture is old. How can you fix it?

    • Administrator
      10/12/2017 at 15:49 - Reply

      Wait a couple of days. The stain should disappear by itself.

  30. Olga
    11/16/2017 at 12:53 - Reply

    Hello! Very much I ask for your advice!
    There is an opening with a diameter of approximately 4.5 mm on the furniture front of the kitchen cabinet. (as a result of changing the handle). The element in which the hole is made of solid oak, varnished. What is the best way to eliminate the hole and make it as invisible as possible?

    • Administrator
      11/16/2017 at 16:30 - Reply

      It is very difficult to cover up the hole “so that it is completely invisible” in lacquered items. It is necessary to remove the layer of varnish from the entire part, seal the hole with a putty on wood of a suitable color, sand it carefully after drying, and then varnish everything anew. So this is still a task and for the sake of a 4.5 mm hole it is hardly worth doing all this.
      The easiest option is to simply cover it with wood putty. They are available for different woods, different colors. Look for the most similar color. Just remember that the color is initially much darker, when it dries it becomes lighter. In order not to spoil, apply a little of the chosen putty on some piece of wood, wait until it dries. Then compare with what you need. If suitable, apply the composition gently with a rubber small spatula (available in hardware stores) or with your finger. Wipe off the excess immediately, level the surface - it will not work with sandpaper, since you will scratch the adjacent varnish. Well, wait until it dries.

  31. Tatyana
    11/27/2017 at 01:11 - Reply

    on kitchen cabinets from a nearby gas stove, veneer fell off mainly at the ends, but there were no pieces left what can be done

    • Administrator
      11/27/2017 at 08:49 - Reply

      Look for a similar-colored miter flange. It is self-adhesive (read here).

  32. Sergey Ivanovich
    12/04/2017 at 12:37 - Reply

    Hello! Need advice on the restoration of the radio housing.

    The veneer itself is practically not damaged, there are a couple of "potholes".

    1. Potholes - with them you probably need to - putty (what is better?) And tint something? What is the technology?

    2. In general, on the surface - it has become "rough" to the touch and faded. I would like to start with smoothness (on the edge I tried it with a skin for 400 - it became smooth, almost immediately, there are no traces of the skin. So continue? Or is it not worth it?)

    3. Then somehow add juiciness and depth. Immediately after the purchase, I wiped the case with an alcohol napkin (from dust, dirt), it already "lit up", became juicy, the depth appeared. But everything dried up and faded again, not beautiful. Veneer 54 years old, mahogany, plump. I think the new one looked amazing. How to "revive" it?

    4. And the last stage - what to cover? They write about Borm oil, about shellac. What is the best way to proceed?

    Hope your advice is very helpful, thanks!

    • Administrator
      12/06/2017 at 12:43 - Reply

      Hello! Judging by your description, your varnish is cracked and dull. You correctly tried to remove it with very fine sandpaper. It is necessary to remove carefully, to the veneer itself. Then clean the surface, degrease (with the same alcohol napkin) and apply a layer of varnish. For the “depth” to appear, a matte or semi-matt varnish is needed. It will not give a shiny surface, but it will add volume. Oil (you write about Borm) does not add volume. It can accentuate texture, but it won't give you a sense of volume.
      About putty. The standard approach is to find a wood putty of a suitable color. It is signed by the color of the wood. Cover it with it (after removing the varnish), when dry, gently sand it. To make the surface as close as possible to wood, you can add a little wood dust to the paste. The one that remains after sanding with sandpaper. To do this, you can specially grind off a little wood of a suitable species / color. If the shade is chosen correctly, it turns out subtle, and after a layer of varnish it is not visible at all. If you have not guessed with the color, you will have to take furniture markers and paint / shade them. But all this comes with experience. In order not to spoil, try first on some piece of a suitable color. Apply putty, let dry, sand. And then experiment with markers ... When you pick up something similar to your veneer, you can start restoring the object itself.

      • Sergey Ivanovich
        12/07/2017 at 09:45 - Reply

        Hello! Thank you very much for your response. I ask you to give one more clarification.
        There are stains (streaks) on the top cover, most likely from water. This is generally a common occurrence for radios and radios of the time (pots of plants, etc.).

        If you sand them, then the surface becomes smooth, the borders of the streaks remain visible. Those. stains do not go away.
        Skinning them "to victory" is probably dangerous. How to remove (wash off?) These stains?
        By all appearances, they are not deep, i.e. on the veneer surface.

        Thank you in advance! I look forward to your recommendations!

  33. Maria
    12/20/2017 at 21:52 - Reply

    Hello !
    An icon lamp was placed on a white table (covered with paint) and the hot ceramics turned out to be tan
    What can be done ?

    We will be very grateful for your advice

    • Administrator
      12/26/2017 at 10:43 pm - Reply

      You can't do anything with paint ... Just paint anew.

  34. Lily
    12/21/2017 at 00:00 - Reply

    Good evening! I got an old classic chair. It is ivory color, the coating is very scratched. I want to restore it. I do not know what to do to remove the cover or paint over somehow. I need your advice! I would like to attach a photo, I did not find how

    • Administrator
      12/26/2017 at 10:43 PM - Reply

      Good evening! Of course, remove the cover first.

  35. Ivan
    12/23/2017 at 20:46 - Reply

    How to remove a fairly deep scratch on polished wood?

    • Administrator
      12/26/2017 at 10:42 PM - Reply

      If done correctly, then you need to remove the varnish, fill up the scratch with putty and varnish again. You can try wrong. Using a furniture marker, update the color (if necessary), carefully pour the varnish from a small syringe (but you need to choose the same one as on the rest of the surface). The second way from the category of "what if" ...

  36. Tatyana
    07.01.2018 at 18:11 - Reply

    Good day! I have a great veneer table. No defects. Just tired of the color. You can just paint it on top with acrylic paint ???? Or is this surprisingly painstaking work of peeling off the top coat required ???

    • Administrator
      07.01.2018 at 19:04 - Reply

      You can find out the answer if you try to apply a couple of strokes from the bottom of the countertop. Acrylic paint can lie normally (first clean it, then wipe it with a degreaser, then try to paint it), or it can be dripping and puddling.

  37. Tatyana
    01/08/2018 at 19:00 - Reply

    Thank you))) I thought so…. you need to experiment)))) Nobody knows exactly how the table will behave when it is attacked with repainting)))))))))))

  38. Tatyana
    14.01.2018 at 20:45 - Reply

    hello, tell me please, I'm trying to restore an old chest of drawers, I removed the cover, the veneer is reddish in color, badly damaged in some places, I put patches from a new veneer, but the color of the patches is much lighter than the main color. How can I paint over the patches so that they do not stand out so much, I want to go further with a stain on the chest of drawers and a matte varnish on top, or is there something better? Thank you

    • Administrator
      14.01.2018 at 21:41 - Reply

      Hello! Unfortunately, it is very difficult to suggest something. We must try to pick up the shade on the remaining pieces of veneer. Look for furniture markers in a similar color.

  39. Natalia
    02/12/2018 at 09:32 - Reply

    Please tell me how you can fix the problem. On the new sofa, the edge of the armrest, made of plywood, was delaminated, not very much, but noticeably. Can you glue something back and paint over the cracks (mahogany color)?

    • Administrator
      02/12/2018 at 17:56 - Reply

      Plywood is hard to work with.

  40. Marina
    03/11/2018 at 20:00 - Reply

    Good day! Superglue was dropped on the armrest of the sofa, chipboard or wood, probably coated with dark, gray and so on with wood-like stripes, as it is fashionable now, reminiscent of a dark laminate, wiped off with Dimexide - as a result, two white spots. What to do?

  41. Rustem
    26.03.2018 at 11:45 - Reply

    Hello! A staircase made of oak veneered parts, in areas where direct sunlight hits, burns out significantly. What to do? Covering matt varnish.

  42. Tamil
    05/12/2018 at 16:00 - Reply

    Good afternoon, how to remove spilled superglue (about 1 cm white spot) on lacquered glossy natural parquet so as not to damage the lacquer.

    • Administrator
      05/15/2018 at 08:47 - Reply

      I'm afraid I'll have to upset you. I don’t know such methods ... You can try to gently sand with fine-grain sandpaper, but then you will have to achieve the smoothness of this place for a long time with different sandpaper ...

  43. Sergei
    16.05.2018 at 23:14 - Reply

    Hello. We cleaned the surface of the upholstered kitchen chairs. The wooden backs seemed dirty, and well, they went tightly over the upper part with a brush with chemicals for cleaning upholstered furniture. When the chairs dried, it turned out that the paint had come off in the places where they were rubbed. Bare tree. I don't know what kind of paint. But not polishing. Matte colour. Maybe butter. Tell me what you can do, please. I can send a photo.

    • Administrator
      05/17/2018 at 09:56 - Reply

      According to the description, you had paint. The oil is not because it is absorbed into the fibers. If the oil-treated surface is treated with chemistry, lighter spots may remain, but not "paint has come off".How to restore the covering on chairs? If done correctly, you will have to remove the soft part and completely process the wooden part of the chairs. Remove all remaining coating (with sandpaper by hand or with a grinder, disc on angle grinder, etc.) and paint or varnish again.
      Although, you write "on the top" ... if the damage is in one zone, you can pick up the most similar paint (it is better to carry a "sample" with you) and repaint only the damage. As far as I understand, they are where the back is ... if so, it might turn out well. But it will be necessary to repaint on all chairs the same. And, before painting, remove the remnants of old paint, remove defects (if any), remove dust, degrease, dry, and only then paint.

  44. Oksana
    07/18/2018 at 13:41 - Reply

    Hello! I have a polysander wood table. My husband wanted to remove the scratches, began to remove the layer, then polish. As a result, traces of circular polishing remained on the surface. Covered with matt acrylic varnish. In three layers. It turned out to be nonsense. We started filming. Result - the table is ruined. Because of some kind of scratch and the husband's confidence in his "I". I was very upset. I covered the table with vegetable oil. It didn't get better. I do not know what to do. I ask for your advice. Thank you in advance.

    • Administrator
      07/18/2018 at 13:44 - Reply

      Hello! Everything was initially done correctly, only it was necessary to polish it with finishing skins. There is a separate article on wood polishing. Read here.

  45. Svetlana
    06.10.2018 at 10:06 - Reply

    Tell me how to remove the cracks on the dresser. Solid wood cracked chest of drawers black glossy with painting, cracks white

  46. Ludmila
    10/07/2018 at 20:35 - Reply

    Hello! At the bedside table made of veneered chipboard, the veneer was peeled off and lost in pieces. Is it possible to peel off the entire veneer to the plate itself and already sand the plate itself, prime it and paint it?

  47. Yaroslavna
    12.10.2018 at 08:36 - Reply

    Good afternoon! We were flooded by the neighbors from above. The lower corners of the uprights 5 cm swelled and parted. The restoration will be very expensive. The material is veneer. What do you advise?

  48. Svetlana
    11/15/2018 at 12:56 - Reply

    Good day! A pothole has formed in the lacquer coating of the piano lid (GDR) during transportation. The hole is down to the tree, but the tree itself is intact. The pothole is very uneven. I suspect that the varnish is polyester. Found that there is a colorless polyester putty. Tell me what can be done in such a situation? How to fix the pothole?

  49. Galina
    11/22/2018 at 20:23 - Reply

    Hello! I ask for advice on what to do: my hostess has a kitchen set made of solid wood from ARKA, covered with special varnish. Over time, the furniture has become heavily patted and greasy stains, streaks do not rub off. She purchased a hardware cream. Of course, it gives shine, but greasy stains are applied layer by layer and will not rub off. Question: how can you degrease the surface after the furniture cream?

  50. Yuri
    02/11/2019 at 08:52 - Reply

    Good day! Kitchen sets, ash facades, cabinets are covered with veneer in the same color, from prolonged use and contact with water, veneered surfaces in places of contact with water or moisture change the color lightens. Tell me how to restore the color. If I understand correctly, you need to choose the color with a marker .. But the restoration area ... is large enough, maybe there are other options? The facades look great! Thank you in advance!

    • Administrator
      11.02.2019 at 14:13 - Reply

      Veneer is always difficult. It is difficult to predict the reaction. Can you try oil or wood wax with color scheme? Refresh color and protection ... If the advice is simpler, you can try the composition for wood care with orange oil. It repairs whitened areas. To make it easier, buy orange oil at the pharmacy and add it to your furniture care product. Do not rush to add to the bottle. First, in a small amount of the product (in the lid, for example), test. And check on a small and inconspicuous area. you will like the result - continue.

  51. Larissa
    13.02.2019 at 04:25 - Reply

    Hello, I really need advice. I have a sooooo old dresser, and the top of the veneer was swollen from the water, the dresser was in the garage, and the roof was leaking there. I decided to putty the areas where there is no veneer and then varnish it. Tell me, is it necessary to treat the surface of the plate from below with something before puttingty, what kind of putty is better to take and what kind of varnish?

  52. Elena
    03/14/2019 at 16:48 - Reply

    Hello. Dark hot spots remained on the light kitchen table, as if burnt. What to do? Veneer table, matt

  53. Lena
    03/16/2019 at 13:25 - Reply

    Hello

    Polished solid wood table, color similar to almond nut, but more intense (brown and red).
    There were dots from a ballpoint pen. I thought it was a normal kitchen table and lost those dots with a dishwashing sponge with the hard side of baking soda. Ink at least. And around is now worn without shine. More visible from the side.
    How to polish? And how are traces of ink from a regular ballpoint pen removed?
    Thank you very much!

    • Administrator
      03/16/2019 at 19:42 - Reply

      Hello! Polish to a shine with a piece of felt. You can try to drip a little oil if it will be dry for a long time. You can try to remove ink with alcohol. But first, run the test somewhere from the bottom, so that it is not visible if there is a negative reaction.

  54. Yura
    03/27/2019 at 06:18 - Reply

    Hello! Please tell me how you can burn out streaks from the door. The varnish turned white after rinsing. Cleaning foam. Thank you in advance.

    • Administrator
      27.03.2019 at 19:41 - Reply

      Hello! Try oiling the whitened varnish. It may be that he turned white from the water. Dries up - restores color

  55. Jennet
    20.05.2019 at 01:49 - Reply

    Hello!
    Maybe off topic, but still. I have an old wooden staircase in my house. The steps are half coniferous and half oak. The varnish is dirty, there are some smears of paint, apparently the old owners were carelessly painting the walls. At two steps there is a chip, the edge was apparently knocked down by feet, Tell me how you can clean and restore the chips?
    Thanks in advance.

    • Nikolay
      05/27/2019 at 12:36 pm - Reply

      I think that you cannot do without a grinder. It is necessary to remove the old varnish and cover it all over again. If the chips are small, then it will be possible to get rid of them by grinding.

  56. Marina
    05/29/2019 at 00:02 - Reply

    Hello!
    Can you please tell me how to change the color of the light veneer on the shelf to match the wenge color so that the veneer wood structure remains? Thank you in advance.

  57. Maria
    05/29/2019 at 21:31 - Reply

    Good evening, help with advice on how to fix the swollen veneer in the middle of the door on the facade of the kitchen unit. Material according to the instructions MDFPVC with varnish coating.
    I would be grateful for your advice.

  58. Marina
    06/10/2019 at 14:58 - Reply

    Good day!
    Interesting article…. But I want to restore a large round veneered table. My parents also bought it. Strong, for centuries ... But here's a very old one, veneer is generally absent in some places. But at the dacha we are without him, well, just nothing. I would also like to use it.
    Please, tell me, if the veneer fell off, what to do - can you just putty these places?
    Thank you.

  59. Albert
    07/10/2019 at 13:06 - Reply

    Hello, tell me please, there are places on the kitchen set where a dark veneer is glued and polished, whitish spots appear on these areas, when viewed it seems that on the boundary layer of veneer and varnish, it looks like a very small blistering, what could it be and is it eliminated

  60. Ainel
    08/29/2019 at 21:23 - Reply

    Hello!
    Tell me please!
    I put the candle on the shelf and burned the shelf in the kitchen! How to be?
    How can this black spot be removed?

  61. Irina
    09/30/2019 at 10:29 - Reply

    I want to restore an old beech chest of drawers, we once varnished it, what is the best way to remove the varnish? and then I want to paint it with some bright color, what is the best paint, so that it will still turn out without streaks?

  62. Nikolay
    21.12.2019 at 10:34 - Reply

    Hello!
    a very thick layer of varnish has separated from the bedside table, from about 2/3 of the surface. the surface of the bedside table before the layer of varnish fell off looked inlaid. what to do? remove everything or fill in only what is separated. separated layer. there is no way to glue a piece of the layer - the daughter threw it away.

  63. Galina
    01/08/2020 at 21:57 - Reply

    Good day. I have two old sideboards in my dacha, the veneer not only pouted but also tears, you can remove it altogether and paint it, what is needed for this? Or will it get nothing decent?

  64. Vyacheslav
    02/09/2020 at 14:28 - Reply

    On a Chinese table, the chinoiserie style is covered in black varnish with a painting, a wrinkled round trace of dishes, will it help to hide many layers of varnish?

  65. Hope
    03/01/2020 at 20:53 - Reply

    Hello! I bought a mahogany table with a marquetry insert in the middle. I don’t know what the surface was covered with (it looks like a French polish), the polishing peeled off in some places, the veneer went away in some places. I sanded it with a typewriter and then manually with 1500 sandpaper. It seemed like I coped with the veneer normally, glued it on, nothing comes off, covered it with one layer of mahogany stain to refresh the color. My main problem is French polish! I bought good quality polish, linseed oil and denatured alcohol, made tampons. I looked at various sites on how to apply polish correctly. Time consuming, yes, but worth it. I have probably already applied five layers, polished to a shine, objects are reflected from the surface of the table like in a mirror, BUT when you look at the surface against the light, it feels like it’s fogged up in places or like greasy spots and they don’t go away even after a few days. What could it be? Maybe there aren't enough layers yet, or some other trick? From above I look at the surface, it is like a mirror, and if you look against the light, then some kind of spotting. How can you get rid of this, please tell me! Thank you in advance!

  66. Zevar
    05/19/2020 at 19:17 - Reply

    Hello, here in the text it is written to clean it, rub it with alcohol, but we have a problem due to the fact that the children decided to treat furniture handles with a pulivizer with alcohol, as a result, white spots around the handle, wiped with a damp cloth, the stain did not go away, the furniture is varnished, what to do ? What do you advise? Thanks in advance.

  67. Alexander
    06/01/2020 at 14:32 - Reply

    Good day! How to remove the trace of a hot mug stain from the glossy surface of the lacquered table?

  68. Alexander
    06/01/2020 at 14:33 - Reply

    White table!

  69. Irina
    08/31/2020 at 07:31 - Reply

    Hello, tell me, what can be done with white spots formed on a polished table as a result of spraying alcohol on it?

  70. Dmitriy
    12/01/2020 at 14:45 - Reply

    Hello,

    Please help with advice.
    A wooden plate and wicker baskets for about 10 years lay in an old shed with a leaking roof.
    As you can see, they turned black in some places, turned gray (is it probably rot or fungi?) And the plate cracked a little more (in the knot area).
    I brought them into the house, washed, wiped and left.
    What can you do with them to
    = to stop further spread of rot and fungus
    = clean from blackness and grayness (rub with fine sandpaper?)
    = remove a crack in a knot (wax, paraffin?)
    = generally normalize

    Thank you very much in advance!

    Yours faithfully,
    Dmitriy

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