Restored and Renewed

Some things aren’t built to last. Most modern furniture won’t survive a move, let alone remain in good enough condition to pass down from one family member to the next.

“Designers today use MDF or HDF — high-density fiberboard and medium-density fiberboard. It’s paper,” said Joe Pittman, owner and operator of Joe Pittman Refinishing. “It’s not low quality, but it’s not going to endure the ages, especially in Florida.”

According to Pittman, the particleboard material “acts as a sponge,” which doesn’t bode well in humid environments.

“From the day that furniture was made, unless it’s sitting in Tempe, Arizona, it’s sucking in moisture and slowly expanding,” he explained, adding that once it’s damaged, “it’s not worth refinishing.”

Pittman has been in the furniture repair business for over 30 years. He learned the trade from his father, who learned from his mother.

This bench may look weathered, but it’s made of real wood, meaning it can be refinished. Photo by iStock / Getty Images Plus: anela

“My father was in the upholstery business that was started in 1946 by my grandmother,” Pittman said. “Well, it was first my grandfather — he started Pittman’s Upholstery here in Tallahassee in 1946 — but he later passed, and my grandmother kept it going.”

But Pittman had no interest in upholstery; he developed a penchant for woodwork instead. In 1987, he took a class about refinishing and cabinetry at Lively Technical College via Leon High School. Now, he does antique restoration, furniture and cabinetry repair, etc.

“I’ll only do upholstery on something like dining room chairs, but I’ll have to refinish them first.”

Throughout the years, Pittman’s noticed a decline in furniture quality. A lot of furniture claims to be “100% wood,” but it’s not solid wood — “it’s kind of a misconception,” he said. “It’s wood chips.” 

As such, he says it’s worth restoring or refinishing old, solid-wood furniture, especially if you don’t plan on reselling it. An antique only loses its value if it is in good condition before being refinished. And if you plan on keeping it, its market value doesn’t matter.

“Furniture just isn’t being made like that anymore,” Pittman said of solid wood antiques. So, preserve them.

Tips for DIYers

Photo by iStock / Getty Images Plus: wingedwolf

Joe Pittman believes that, with the right mindset, anyone can learn to restore and refinish furniture. Here are a few things to consider before busting out the lacquer and chemical wood strippers.

Tip 1

» Before doing anything else, don your personal protective equipment. “You’ll want gloves and paper towels, and if you’re going to do any stripping, then you’ll want to have splash goggles so you don’t get anything in your eyes,” he advised.

Tip 2

» Avoid restoring or refinishing anything made from MDF. Stick with solid wood. “It’ll act as a sponge,” Pittman said. “If it’s solid wood, you can’t ruin it. You could throw it in the lake, wait 10 years, pull it out and still use it — that’s the beauty of solid wood. If it’s an MDF product, you can throw it in the lake, and it’s pretty much already gone.”

This water-damaged MDF cabinet in the has lost its shape and isn’t suitable for refinishing. Photo by iStock / Getty Images Plus: Helin Loik-Tomson

Tip 3

» Try to avoid wood stripping at all costs. “A product I use to determine if a piece of furniture needs stripping is simple mineral spirits on a rag,” he said. “Wipe that on the wood — if it looks good after, you don’t need to strip it; you can clean it off with the mineral spirits, red rag it down (scrub it with steel wool or 320 sandpaper), clean it off again with your mineral spirits and then apply your color. “Wipe the color in, wipe it off, let it dry overnight and put your lacquer or polyurethane over the top.”

Tip 4

» See a project through to the end. “Anybody can do it,” Pittman said. “The question is: Would you have the desire to finish the job once you get into it? When I take on a job, I don’t start it and return to it in a month. You’ve got to start it and then finish it — there’s only one path to the end.”