Refinishing verses Restoration

Many of our customers are unfamiliar with the difference between refinishing a piece of furniture and restoring it.  Most of our work involves refinishing.  This is where we completely remove the old finish, sand if needed, repair, stain and apply new finish.  This often takes less time than restoring a piece of furniture.

Restoration is usually reserved for furniture of higher value and which have compatible finishes that can be worked with.  It involves using solvents to soften the finish and work into it until some is removed along with dirt, grime and waxes and then a new coat added back to it.  This works with shellac and lacquer but not polyurethane or paints.  The entire process is very time consuming, requires skill and consequently cost more than refinishing.

If you are uncertain as to which you should have done to your furniture please click onto the more info button after this paragraph and read on to learn more.