Give a New Look to Your Old Desks

There are few things more beautiful than wood furniture, and that includes desks. However, over time wood can crack and dry and begin to become damaged. The surface can become dull and soiled, and there even may be dark splotches and rings. This can mar the beauty of your furniture, and spoil the neat appearance of your office or den.

Refinishing enhances and preserves the look of the wooden desk and also protects the wood from decay. It accentuates the looks of the wood. The desks are usually made of cherry, walnut or mahogany wood. Refinishing shows the grain contrasts that exist in these woods.

When you think of refinishing it, start off with cleaning the old and dirty layer first. Now, this cleaning should not be done with water in any form. For example use only wood friendly solvent and not water based ones. The refinishing begins with stripping the old finish. Wood friendly remover is used for the purpose. You buy a good one from any home improvement store or specialty shop selling fine furniture. Then use mild solvent to clean the residue.

You will need to sand the surface of the desks if it is rough. You can sand the entire desk down but only after you have cleaned everything off, removing the old finish and paint, if any. You can use an electric sander to make this process easier.

Once the desk is free from the old paint and the surface is smooth you have to decide on a color and sheen for your desk. It is entirely up to you whether you want to refinish the desk close to its original color or make a color change. It depends on the stain that you use. However, before you do the entire desk, test the color of the stain on a portion of the desk that is less noticeable. This is to make sure that when the stain dries, it is the color of your choice.

You could settle for a shiny high gloss sheen or matte finish for your desk, depending on your choice and preference. While some people like the shiny appeal of the high gloss finish others prefer the more natural look of the matte finish. You can get a variety of sprays for furniture finish from home improvement or furniture specialty shops. You can choose between the varieties of glossy levels depending upon the kind of finish you prefer.

Though the wooden desk look their best without being painted over, you can add a coat of paint if you prefer. Remember, these paints can ruin the look of the desk so just be very careful when you choose one or else let the natural look be there.

It is wiser to have a wood finish done before you paint the desk. This protects the wood from harsh paint chemicals. Also if you find it better to stick to the natural look you can easily revert to the natural color. You must clear-coat the desk after it has been painted and the final coat of paint dries. This enhances the paint's longevity.

Article Source: http://www.diyarticlelibrary.com

About the author: Reggie Carvel is the chief writer at Art Desks, there's a wealth of knowledge on the website, plus their free newsletter is well worth signing up for too. For more quality articles on Desk why not visit: www.artdesks.com/articles
Click here to get your own unique version of this article.

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated