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- Anyone who recently moved into a new home or refurnished their space knows that buying new furniture can be enormously expensive.
- But with products like wood polish, paint medium, and a little elbow grease, you can fix or salvage your old furniture, giving it a totally new look or improving on its condition.
- As an avid DIY-er, I rounded up some of the best and most useful products you can use to restore your household favorites or cheap thrift finds.
Whether its your phone or your canned goods, everything you purchase comes with a shelf-life. Though we’d like to believe our material objects are made to last a lifetime, some things — like your old lunchbox — should probably be disposed of at some point in time. Tossing a $2 can of beans isn’t cringeworthy for most, but when it comes to large or expensive items that cost more out of pocket, the disposal process becomes more difficult.
Take furniture, for example. People spend hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on quality pieces only to see them damaged from everyday use — leaving owners with the option to toss their pricey investment pieces or to let them linger as defective additions to their otherwise decent-looking room. Though there is the option of buying new, what are you supposed to do with the old furniture? I know enough people who would rather sleep on a broken bed than carry a new one up five flights of stairs.
Through a little research and personal experience, I found a dozen ways to completely refurbish old furniture. The best part about all these projects is that they’re all pretty simple to carry out and they all cost way less than investing in a brand new piece.
These 12 products can help you refinish and refurbish old furniture, countertops, and more:
Old English Scratch Cover
Amazon
Old English Scratch Cover for Wood, $5.38, available at Amazon
When should you use it?
This scratch cover is an ideal solution to obnoxious surface-level scratches in dark-wood furniture. Though it does not fill indentations, it polishes wood and hides visible scratches by staining them to match your original piece. The formula is intended to be permanent to keep your furniture looking pristine for an extended period of time.
Why should you use it?
This 12-ounce bottle is rated 4.5 stars out of 5 on Amazon and for a good reason. Customers have left tons of before and after pictures of their projects in the reviews section and have claimed that their heavily worn furniture was left looking rejuvenated and remarkable after use.
Gorilla Wood Glue
Target
Gorilla Wood Glue, $3.84, available at Amazon
When should you use it?
This glue is the perfect solution to broken cabinets or trimmings that have become detached. It works like a normal glue, takes 24 hours to completely cure, and is versatile — meaning you can use this stuff for all types of indoor or outdoor projects.
Why should you use it?
It seems that no matter what type of item Gorilla Glue releases, the products live up to their esteemed standards. I’ve used it for home decor projects like creating baskets for my desk supplies and the glue bonded the wood without ever creating a mess or coming loose.
Blue Bear Paint and Urethane Stripper
Amazon
Blue Bear SoyGel Paint & Urethane Stripper, $64.04, available at Amazon
When should you use it?
Brushing over old paint might be the easy route, but without stripping the previous layers, you will deal with chipping and accelerated wear. This solution removes paint, urethane, enamels, sealers, and other coatings prior to the application of new layers — so that you can properly prep your surface.
Why should you use it?
There are multiple ways to remove paint, but this option is biodegradable and does not release toxic fumes. One user left a review explaining they had to strip all the floors in a house that was built in the 1950s, and they found that the paint remover was able to quickly break down the finish without the harmful or headache-inducing smells we’ve all come to expect from products like mineral spirits.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Megan Foster)