Stripping & Refinishing

If the finish on any given piece of furniture is cracking and peeling or if the finish has been subject to moisture or high heat or cold conditions, it is probably a candidate for refinishing.

All pieces that need to be refinished are stripped by hand in a flow-over tray.  The chemical used gently removes the finish and does no harm to the wood or the glue joints.  No pieces are ever “dipped” in a caustic solution that will harm glue joints and raise the grain and change the color of the wood.  After the finish is removed, the piece is neutralized with a lacquer thinner and alcohol wash to remove any residue or impurities in the wood that might cause adhesion problems with the finishing process later.  A bleaching process might also be included to remove any staining that has penetrated the wood grain.

When the piece has dried, any repairs that are necessary take place (loose joints, cracks, gouges etc.).  Once repairs are completed, the piece is sanded with various grits of sandpaper to achieve a smooth surface.

The piece is then sprayed with a thin layer of sanding sealer.  After the sealer has dried, it is gently sanded to accept the stain or dye that colors the wood.  After the color has dried, it is once again sprayed with another coat of sanding sealer.  This step locks down the color.  The piece is sanded again.  A coat of lacquer is sprayed on next.  If the color isn’t exactly right at this point, we sand the piece again and apply a wiping glaze coat or add a colored toner to our lacquer to achieve the color we want.  Once we are satisfied with the color, four more coats of lacquer are applied sanding in between each coat to ensure a smooth & deep finish that “pops” the color in the grain of the wood. 

After the final coat of lacquer is applied, the piece is set aside to “cure” for about one week.  The finish is then rubbed out to the desired sheen and then it is ready to go.

Furniture Restoration

If the finish on any given piece of furniture is in good condition (no cracking or peeling), but there are some issues such as scratches, chips, dents, gouges, loose joints or other imperfections, it is probably a candidate for restoration and it does not have to be stripped.  The piece is cleaned first with a mild detergent to remove all of the grit and grime that has accumulated.  Repairs are then made to the affected areas to obscure all of the imperfections & to blend in with the rest of the finish.  The piece is then lightly sanded and top-coated at least three times with the same finish that was already on the piece.  The finish is also lightly sanded between coats to allow good adhesion to the existing finish.  The final coat is also rubbed out after it has cured.

Furniture Conservation

Furniture Conservation is probably the most demanding & time consuming category of restoring furniture.  First of all, the pieces that are candidates for conservation are at least 150 years old (with the exception of pieces from modern day arts & crafts furniture makers).  They are always hand made (not factory manufactured) & even though they might look very worn, cracked, scratched & utterly disfigured…the finish, no matter how bad it is must “NEVER” be removed.  The integrity of the piece will be compromised…not to mention the value.

As in restoration, conservation requires the use of materials that are exactly the same that is on the original.  This includes glues (hide glue), hardware, finishes etc.  Conservation also requires that the materials that are used be “reversible”.  In other words, the new finish & other materials being used must be able to be removed without bothering the original finish & other materials underneath it.  A coarse piece of sandpaper or liquid stripper should never touch a piece that fits into this category.  The patina that an older piece has developed is a natural work of art.

The process starts with a good cleaning.  Cleaning materials may vary depending on the piece.  Repairs are then made to any loose joints.  If pieces of wood are missing, they are replaced with “antique wood” of the same species.  The finishes used on antique furniture were mostly oils, French polishes (shellac, alcohol & oil) or just plain beeswax.  Depending on your piece, these finishes would be used to restore the original finish back to its luster.  All of these finishes are rubbed on by hand & require numerous coats…sometimes over 20. The various scratches, dents, cracks (not structural), worm holes & other imperfections are left alone under the new finish that is applied.  These areas have become a part of the piece giving it character & a lot of history.

On-Site Touch Ups

We also offer “On-Site” service.  We will come to your home or office to touch up & repair minor damages to your furniture or other woodwork.  Maybe a new puppy got a little carried away with a leg on your dining room table…or careless movers might have banged around your furniture in transit.  Those nicks, chips & gouges can be repaired using age old techniques that have been handed down for over 200 years.  In your eyes, it might seem impossible to repair these damages, but we’ve been doing just that for over 25 years.

Transit & Insurance Claims

All of the Major Van Lines, their Agents & Insurance Companies have trusted us to handle their Transit Claims here in Southern, Idaho.  Accidents or carelessness can happen when you are moving from point A to point B.  If this happens to you, you call the Mover & they send you out a claim form to fill out & either fax, E-Mail or snail mail it back to the mover.  The mover then assigns it to companies who handle transit claims — companies like ours.  We cover all of Southern Idaho and we are the only Authorized Restoration Center in the whole state of Idaho.  The Van Lines trust companies like ours because we have the experience and a high level of craftsmanship to get the job done right the first time for their valuable clients. 

We also handle claims for Fire & Smoke damage.  Once again, we deal with almost all of the major insurance companies in resolving damaged furniture issues.

 An Authorized