how do I re-seal my dining room chairs?

By wvgal

I inherited my grandparents dining room table/chairs and china cabinet. It had been stored for a little while so when I decided to clean it I made a big mistake....I didn't go out and buy wood cleaner, instead I used some household cleaner that I already had. Well, needless to say I soon found out that it shouldn't be used on wood- it evidently removed the layer of clear lacquer (or whatever they put on wood furniture to seal the stain or varnish) and now any time I use anything to clean it such as Pledge or anything moist, even if I wipe over one of the chairs with a damp paper towel, the brown varnish comes off on my dusting cloth.

Does anyone know how I can fix this? I would like to know if there is something that I can apply to re-seal what varnish/stain is left on the wood, and that would also be safe to use on a table where food is served.

Hope someone has some ideas!

Amy

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January 29, 2007

4 comments | 467 views |

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About: even though I live in the country, my home decor is somewhat modern. I love...

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sparkie

February 04, 2007

Stop...If it is old enough to be valuable then removing any remaining finish could greatkly de-value it. What is age?

First, regardless of age, try to id the existing finish. There are charts that show you step by step via process of elimination to id existing finish. Then, decide where you want to take the finish. What kind of look? What kind of protection?

Bruce Johnson is a pro furn. refinisher who wrote a great book, "Weekend Refinisher". See this link on a discussion of restoring finish.

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/rm_furniture_maintenance/article/0,1797,HGTV_3716_1395320,00.html

jpricemoore

February 01, 2007

Shellac is a pretty good all-purpose stain sealer. You can buy it pre-mixed from Home Depot, or there are a number of companies that sell shellac flakes that are mixed with denatured alcohol. Mixing it yourself probably isn't the route you want to take if you've never done it before. I've also seen shellac in an aerosol can, which might be easier to apply to chairs than brushing it. After the shellac dries, you should sand it lightly with 150-grit sandpaper, and then apply a clear varnish or another coat of shellac. Minwax makes a gel varnish that you brush on, and then wipe off with a rag. It's pretty easy to work with because it dries to the touch as soon as you wipe off the excess material, but you need to be sure that you wipe off all the excess varnish. You can build-up multiple coats of varnish, without giving the chairs/table the appearance of a thick finish. Just be sure to allow the proper amount of time for the varnish to fully cure before adding additional coats.

Good luck!

Manzabar

January 30, 2007

That's a hard call to make sight unseen. Depending on the age of the piece, they could have been using a variety of sealers/finishes. It would be a lot simpler to go ahead and strip the rest of the old finish off and put on a new one. Either that or check with a local furniture restorer for more specific advice.

bruno

January 30, 2007

Hmm... I'm surprised no one has replied to this yet...we've got quite a few chair-refinishers here on Curbly. I'll keep my eyes open for any info that might help.