Breathe New Life Into Old Patio Furniture 

After a long winter in Breckenridge, your patio more than likely has taken a beating from sun and snow.  If you are responsible, maybe you put away your patio furniture in storage.  But if you are anything like me, you put that off and your furniture suffered a little.  Do not fret yet, though!  You more than likely are still be able to revive it following these steps:

Washing and Scrubbing

Using a soft plastic brush to prevent scratches, scrub furniture to restore it back to its natural sheen.  A mixture of water and a bit of vinegar (1 cup of vinegar to 1 gallon of water) is gentle enough to clean most wood, metal and plastic furniture.  When working on furniture that shows streaks easily (such as teak), work on scrubbing from the bottom up to avoid leaving drip marks on furniture.  For rusted metal furniture, use a wire brush to remove built up rust then follow up with a good sanding to remove the rest.

If your furniture is a little hardier, a pressure washer or hose with spray attachment might do the trick to  remove dirt and dust from furniture bases and cushions.

Sanding

Most furniture can benefit from a good sanding.  A lot of tutorials out there say you can get away without sanding, but if you want to paint your furniture, you need a light sanding (150 grit paper should do it) to help primer adhere to it.  Double check if you have specific wood you are concerned about, but a light scuff sand can revive most wood furniture and allow it to accept paint or stain.  A light sanding is even capable of removing wine and coffee stains.  For metal, sanding can remove a good layer of rust.  If you did sand, make sure to use a tack cloth or a solvent like acetone to remove remnants before following up with primer and paint.

Oiling and Staining

If you have tired-looking wicker furniture, consider treating it with tung oil to restore it to a new shine with protective properties.  Tung oil is often the oil of choice for restoring teak furniture.  Though always thoroughly clean your furniture before applying tung oil.

Reupholstering

With fabric and a staple gun, you can reupholster old cushions.  If you take your old cushion to the fabric store, they will even help you determine how much fabric you will need.  If DIY reupholstering is not your cup of tea, consider using a slip cover instead!

Prime It

If you want to avoid painting your patio furniture every few months, use a primer to keep the paint from peeling off.

Painting

Before painting your plastic, wrought iron, wood or metal furniture, give furniture a good wash and dry.  Or again use a fresh tack cloth to remove dust and debris. Use a foam roller to apply multiple coats to furniture and a foam brush to hit the nooks and crannies the roller cannot reach.  Not only can paint fix a plethora of issues with your furniture legs, arms and tables, but it can also extend the life of faded cushions!  Using spray paint, just apply like you would to a hard surface.

Protect It

A new foam roller will be needed here!  If you want to add an additional layer of protection, apply a thin coat of water-based gloss.  The thin layer ensures you avoid bubbles.  Give it ample time to dry and enjoy your like-new furniture!

Please let us know in the comments below or by email how your project turned out! We love pictures!  If you need any assistance at all with your painting or wall covering project and you live in the Summit County area, call for a free in-person estimate at 970 418-5368 cell or 970-547-9778 office!