To refinish or not to refinish?
Ask someone who knows before making a mistake with antiques
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Tuesday, October 26, 2004 |
By Maria Matson
Most do-it-yourselfers and bargain hunters face this dilemma: Wouldn't that old piece of furniture look great with a makeover? Possibly not. Some antiques and heirlooms need that aged look to retain their value. So before taking on grandma's dining room table, get some advice from the pros.
Vie Cresto, owner of Second Hand Rose in Phoenix advises, “Arm yourself with knowledge. Don't guess. First, determine when the item was made. Pieces made before the Industrial Revolution were constructed by hand. “The original patina is erased with refinishing and you effectively downgrade the value of the piece, Cresto says. “Most things made after 1885 were made in a factory by a machine. With those pieces, you're not hurting anything by refinishing them, but the current thinking in conservatorship is to restore with like and similar materials consistent with the time.
Hal Resnikoff of the Village Woodsmith offers similar advice. “If a piece is less than 100 years old and you still want to put it to practical use, or it has some sentimental value, refinish it, he says. Resnikoff cautions, however, that refinishing is expensive. “Weigh the cost of refinishing against replacement. If you go with replacement, you may not get the same quality of furniture, but you may get something more to your liking.
Whether the decision is to use it or lose it, grandma's table (and any other piece of furniture) will look and age better with regular applications of 100-percent natural paste. This protects surfaces from water and alcohol. “If it's a dining table used every day, apply paste once a month, Resnikoff recommends. “If it's an end table that doesn't get much use, paste it twice a year.