The first article of our cozy blog about do-it-yourself restoration of an old chair... We had 4 old chairs, without padded back. We tried them restore, so that they do not stagger and match our color. We also recommend custom-made furniture for the hallway or in a ready-made version, at a very interesting price and with high quality workmanship. Here's how they did it and what happened, step by step:
- Since he was staggering all over that it was impossible to sit, the analysis did not take much effort. The chair was completely dismantled.
2. Then every part of the chair must be cleaned from the old covering. At hand there was only a knife and a skin…. 🙁
3. To peel off with a knife is of course tin ... But here's how it happened. You need to clean everything, the grooves where the parts are inserted is mandatory. Then we assemble the chair, just as we took it apart. Add glue to the grooves and insert). (instead of glue, we used liquid nails, universal quality, the village so you knock out the horseradish 🙂) To assemble the chair evenly, we used a level.
4. We wanted an orange chair with a soft back. I cut a plate from the chipboard to the size of the back. Covered with Maple stain. They waited 3 hours and covered with varnish in one layer. The varnish was used by Yacht.
6. Then they began to tighten the podzhopnik). They put some foam rubber and covered them with a parterre. (of course, it is better to use gabilen or coarse calico fabric, but we had a parterre lying around 🙂) We fixed it with a furniture stapler. To prevent the parterre from wiping at the ends, he walked with a lighter ...
7. Then we put foam rubber in three layers on the back and began to pull the parterre. Make a seam at the bottom, for the entourage, you can still go through the bottom with decorative nails.
8. Here's how the back came out. The decorative nails were different but one hell is not visible from behind :). The seam goes down.
9. Well, the chair in front)
The other three chairs are better. Only the old coating was removed with a drill; there are special circles with sandpaper. In time, the other three chairs came out faster than this first one) Costs for 4 chairs: 100 rubles. stain + 120 rubles. varnish + 250 rubles. fabric parquet. TOTAL: 490 rubles. for 4 chairs.
Unfortunately, over time, chairs, like all other furniture, deteriorate, scratch, rub and generally lose their appearance. Swaying legs, squeaky seat and worn upholstery - oil painting, right? But often you don't want to throw furniture away. And there are enough reasons for that. Do not despair if your favorite chair "pumped up". Do-it-yourself chair restoration will help bring it back to life.
Varieties of restoration
So, what to do if your favorite furniture is no longer pleasing to the eye? If you do not know the answer to this question, then this DIY chair restoration workshop is especially for you. In many ways, the restoration process is determined depending on the degree of damage to the chair, because the types of updates can be completely different. If it is loosened, then it will be necessary to restore the cracked spike joints. In another case, when the places where the thorn enters the groove are weakened, and the connecting elements are loosened to disgrace in the nests, we can say that the chair actually requires rebirth, that is, it will need to be completely disassembled and reassembled. Updating the varnish will not require much time and effort, but it should be borne in mind that this is a painstaking task that requires care and accuracy on your part.
The simplest banal option for restoring old chairs with your own hands is replacing the upholstery. At the same time, the appearance changes almost beyond recognition, the renewed fabric seems to "breathe" new life into the furniture, ultimately there is no trace of abrasions. Today we will talk about all the possible options and methods for restoring your favorite chairs.
Preparatory work
First you need to stock up on equipment and all the necessary materials. For the restoration of chairs with your own hands, the following is useful:
- beautiful upholstery;
- hammer;
- wooden mallet;
- screwdriver;
- screws and screwdriver;
- clamps;
- paint, brushes, thinner;
- clamps (metal);
- synthetic winterizer (foam rubber, latex can be used);
- stapler with brackets;
- scissors, glue;
First of all, the chair needs to be washed and cleaned. This can be done with a brush and dishwashing detergent. We dilute the soap solution in a large amount of water, apply it to the chair with a brush. Remove the dirt with gentle movements. After that, the wooden frame should be blotted with a dry cloth. It is not necessary to carry out the "washing" procedure for an especially long time, as excessive contact with water can damage the stool. After drying, we disassemble it into separate components.
Disassembling the chair
Before you start restoring the chair with your own hands, you need to remove the back and the seat itself. This can be done easily by hand, without using any tools. After that, the chair must be thoroughly loosened and the bad connecting places must be severed. If necessary, you can gently tap the nests with a mallet. But if, nevertheless, the joint cannot be disassembled, leave it, it means that it is still able to do you good service.
Viennese chairs
Do-it-yourself restoration of a Viennese chair does not differ at all from the repair of any other. These chairs are most often twisted with screws and screws. Therefore, it is not difficult to untwist them. In case of difficulties, it is enough to drop technical oil on the "problem" thread. This will help unscrew the part. A little advice: if you assemble a chair at the last stages of the repair, like a Lego constructor, you must initially sign all the details so that the final assembly of the product does not become a nightmare for you. Representatives of "soviet" times are assembled using epoxy glue. In this case, hot water will come to the rescue. It is enough to hold the problem areas under the stream until the glue is completely dissolved.
At do-it-yourself workshops on the restoration of Viennese chairs, in the event that the old resin stubbornly holds back some unreliable flimsy element, it is advised to put on a rubber hose with a small narrow tip (mostly metal) on the spout of the kettle and direct the stream of steam to an unbreakable joint. The steam perfectly softens the resin, which facilitates easy separation of individual parts. After this procedure, the stool must be thoroughly dried.
Restoration of parts
At the initial stage, all small defects should be immediately removed. Cracks, as well as places bitten by pets, need to be tightened with clamps, all other chips are perfectly removed with paper tape or putty from a mixture of sawdust and wood glue. If the glue gets on unnecessary parts of the chair, there is nothing to worry about. In the future, all flaws can be easily eliminated. For round elements, metal clamps must be used.
The glue must dry thoroughly. It will take at least 48 hours, perhaps even more. The next step is to grind all the elements of the chair. To do this, you need to use sandpaper. You need to start with paper with a larger grain, gradually moving to the smallest. It is necessary to achieve an absolutely flat surface of all parts. Otherwise, jags will remain on the chair, which will subsequently cling to clothes.
Bonding mates
We wrap the damaged parts of the legs with a bandage, carefully applying glue to each layer of the winding. At the end of the leg, we cut out a recess a couple of centimeters and drive a wooden wedge into it (any small piece of wood will do). After such treatment, the leg will firmly "sit" in the nest and will not stagger.
Do-it-yourself restoration of old chairs will be complicated by the fact that in such models there are drawers and crossbars under the seat. In this case, all parts are connected to each other with spikes and glue. If the seam is loosened, it is enough to drill a hole and pour glue into it, and if the thorn fails, then during assembly, the chip soaked in glue must be hammered into the nest. A completely loosened leg must be disassembled and completely glued.
Assembling the chair
Assembly is a very important point in the restoration of wooden chairs with your own hands. It is necessary to collect all the elements, be sure to take into account the correct angles between all parts in order to avoid the formation of possible distortions. "Spare parts" must be glued strictly under pressure. To do this, just pull them with laces.
Excess glue must be removed with a damp cloth. A basin of water placed on the seat of a chair can act as a weighting agent. Then all the elements will be fastened directly under the load. This entire process will take at least two days. And only after the glue and parts have completely dried, decorative finishing should be done. If you do not allow the glue to dry properly, then there is a risk that it will simply break under the weight.
Chair upholstery
We continue our master class on the restoration of an old chair with our own hands. First, all wooden parts should be painted with paint, then a layer of varnish should be applied. Next, we leave our precious chair to dry again. In the meantime, we are moving on to finishing work: we will deal with replacing the soft upholstery.
Here's a list of steps to follow to pull the chair:
- We remove the worn-out old upholstery. It is important to try to maintain the integrity of the tissue. She will act as a kind of template. All the little things and shortcomings of the wooden seat must be eliminated first.
- We take the foam, lean the seat against it and draw the contours as accurately as possible with a marker.
- Using ordinary scissors, cut out the desired area on the foam rubber along the contours
- On the canvas of the future upholstery, using the old version of the fabric as a template, in the same way we draw a seat with a marker, but taking into account the allowances on the sides, three to four centimeters are enough.
- Next, add some kind of "sandwich". To do this, the first layer on the table is to lay the new fabric "face down", followed by foam rubber, and the third layer is directly the seat itself. Thoroughly straighten, align and stretch the fabric, tuck the hanging edges under the wooden base. We fix it with a stapler or with small nails with wide caps.
If the back of the chair is as soft as the seat, then the above steps will need to be repeated with it. The fabric for the upholstery can be of any color, the main thing is that the new chairs match the overall interior design.
At the very end, we attach the seat to the chair frame itself. It is best to "plant" it on self-tapping screws using metal corners.
Conclusion
Actually, that's all. You have already noticed that your rarity has noticeably changed, revived and is ready to continue to serve you with faith and truth. Now that you know firsthand what a chair can be like before and after restoration with your own hands, you may want to repair all the chairs in the house, as well as help all your friends and family.
You can also sell your upgraded chair as an antique for a decent price. Of course, this is a joke. In fact, you can take this seriously and use new skills to create your own business that can bring not only pleasure, but also material benefits. The popularity of original designer items is only gaining momentum. Now you know how to refurbish any chair. Perhaps, based on this article, someday you yourself will develop your own unique options for repairing other old furniture.
All photos from the article
No matter how carefully a person uses the furniture, over time it falls into disrepair. The appearance deteriorates, the upholstery fades and ceases to please with a riot of colors, the joints cease to be reliable. Usually, in such cases, furniture has 2 ways: either go to the landfill, or fall into the hands of a master who will do everything perfectly, but not for free. But there is also a third option - to do everything yourself.
Types of damage to wooden chairs
Repairing wooden chairs involves restoring not only its appearance, but also its strength characteristics. Specialized services are often referred to as a restoration process.
Such restoration should not be confused with what experts do when restoring museum exhibits; in their case, it is necessary to preserve the state of the object in the current state of time, which somewhat limits a person's choice of means. In the case of repairs, any methods can be used, up to the replacement of individual parts.
During operation, the occurrence of such defects as:
- damage to the paint / varnish layer, affects only the appearance of the chair;
- loosening of spike-groove joints. The tree can dry out over time, and under the influence of regular loads, such joints loosen;
- chips and cracks on the surface of the tree. In principle, most of these defects can be eliminated without replacing the part;
Note!
The exception is large chips, which cannot be masked in any way.
- the upholstery of the seat and backrest will surely wear off after a few years, it can also tear or simply fade if bright sunlight constantly falls on the chair;
- more serious damage (broken leg, back) can only be corrected by replacing them.
Do-it-yourself wooden chair repair is possible for all types of defects described. No special equipment is needed, so absolutely anyone can handle the repair.
Repair technology
In order for the chair to be practically like new after restoration, it may need to be completely disassembled. But there are exceptions, for example, if you only need to update the paint, then you can do without it.
We eliminate minor defects
Minor defects include those that do not require complete disassembly of the chair for their elimination. That is, updating the paintwork, eliminating small cracks, chips, etc.
If the chair does not please with its appearance, but it still remains quite durable and not loose, then you can simply limit yourself to painting / varnishing it.
In this case, the sequence of actions will be as follows:
- if there is upholstery, it must be removed so as not to stain the fabric with paint;
- then in any way remove the old layer of paint / varnish;
- a new layer of paint / varnish is applied;
- after drying, you can replace the removed upholstery.
The main problem with this is to remove the paint and not damage the wood itself too much.
There are several ways to accomplish this task:
- using a construction hair dryer and a spatula. The whole instruction is that you need to carefully warm up the paint layer with a hairdryer, and remove it with a spatula;
Note!
At the same time, you do not need to hold the hair dryer close to a wooden surface.
You can ruin the plastic part of the hair dryer itself, although it is made of heat-resistant plastic, it deforms with prolonged exposure to high temperatures.
- you can try to remove the paint mechanically. You can use a regular drill attachment in the form of an emery wheel or a metal brush;
Many things lose their attractive appearance over time, so they need to be updated. You can put some effort into refurbishing the furniture and giving it an amazing look. Especially often people remodel old chairs. There are many ways to restore them.
Kinds
To independently renew an old chair, you need to decide on the type of restoration. There are several ways to help you restore outdated furniture. The following methods can be used to renovate wood or chipboard surfaces:
- Decoupage- this is the ability to decorate furniture by gluing some motifs or pictures cut from paper on it. To preserve the renewed surface of the object, a special varnish is used that protects the paper from external influences. Decoupage allows you to choose an interesting pattern and transfer it to old furniture, thereby updating the interior.
- Adhesive tape or film helps to renovate old furniture without much effort. The self-adhesive decorative foil can be designed to simulate natural stone, wood, leather and ceramics. She is not afraid of water, temperature extremes and direct sunlight. With its help, you can completely transform faded stools.
- Art painting Is a way of decorating objects with different colors. There are several types of artistic painting: Khokhloma, Zhostovo, Gzhel and Mezen painting. But restoration using this method requires skill and care.
- Craquelure- the technique of creating a visually aged wood. Cracks form on the coating, through which the main tone is visible. To get this result, use a special plaster, varnish or paint.
The technique itself does not require serious preparation and accuracy of application.
- Painting- the lightest type of restoration, for which it is only necessary to clean the product well. The paintwork will keep the chair attractive for a long time.
- Lamination- A method using decorated paper that is glued to the surface of the chair using a synthetically melted resin.
- Veneering- represents the renovation of furniture with a thin layer of wood, which is glued to the surface with a one- or two-component composition. And to give the veneer aesthetics, you can cover it with varnish or wax.
In addition to updating the aesthetic appearance of the chair, sometimes more serious intervention may be required - it may be necessary to replace or repair a broken part of the structure. In some cases, it is enough just to restore the connecting parts, and in others - to completely replace the part.
To restore a wooden or metal highchair, it may be necessary to replace the old upholstery. For this, it is necessary to prepare materials that will help restore the product. Upholstery requires neatness and precision, combined with a mastery of tools.
How to disassemble it yourself?
It is not difficult to disassemble a chair with your own hands, since its design is known to almost everyone. First you need to unscrew the back, and then the legs. And the product is assembled in the reverse order so that all the grooves take their places. If the chair is fixed with glued spikes, the attachment points are moistened with hot water or sprayed with steam from a steam generator.
If there are cracks on the wooden structure, then they are filled with a mixture of glue and sawdust, or glued and clamped until they are completely fixed. In case of damage to the spike fasteners, the old plugs are replaced, and the side joints are glued together. To do this, you need to make a small hole, pour glue into it and wait until it dries.
If the old chair is wobbling, then it is necessary to remove the legs from the special grooves and wedge their upper part. Due to this, they increase and hold better in the grooves.
Upgrading a highchair follows the same principle as an adult, but sometimes hinges or a swivel mechanism need to be replaced in it. Usually, children's designs consist of many parts that are designed to secure the position of the child. For greater strength, all connecting places need to be glued.
To disassemble the folding chair, it is enough to remove the axial pins that connect the backrest and the seat, and then remove the seat. Structures on a metal base are easier to disassemble - you need to unscrew the seat and the soft part of the back.
If the chair seat is installed on a spring block, it must be replaced with new springs. It is not necessary to remove the entire block for this.
Recovery process step by step
After disassembling the structure and restoring damaged parts, it is necessary to remove the old paintwork. After this, the main stage of the restoration begins.
First, a primer is applied to the cleaned surface of the chair, which completely matches the color of the product. After waiting for complete drying, the primer is cleaned with sandpaper to obtain a thin layer of coverage. After that, the product is coated with paint or varnish, wait for it to dry and apply another layer.
Each material is colored in a special way. For example, an anti-corrosion agent is first applied to a metal frame, and after it has completely dried, it is covered with a basic color. Transparent varnish is applied in several stages, and if a coloring composition is used, then it is better to resort to enamel for metal.
The wooden frame is first treated with wax, carefully distributing it over all areas. Instead of wax, you can use an oily primer that is applied with a brush. Then the product is covered with several layers of acrylic paint. These recovery steps allow you to quickly and easily renew your stool without the need for special face masks or gloves.
It is highly undesirable to paint plastic chairs, since plastic is prone to bending, and this will lead to crackling and peeling of paint. Therefore, it is a priority for them to sew covers or pillows.
The last stage of renovation consists of creating beautiful upholstery. Having removed the old upholstery, the seat base is cut out of the foam cushion, which is then attached to the surface using glue. For additional fixation, you can use paper clips. Having pulled the fabric well throughout the seat, secure it with furniture clips from below. Depending on personal preference, the fabric may have a bright pattern or no pattern at all.
To remake a seat with springs, batting is first fixed, and then a layer of foam rubber sheet. The fabric is attached according to the same principle as with a single layer of foam rubber, but it is pulled with a large emphasis to smooth out the spring relief.
Many people think about which paint is best for painting in order to maintain the effect for a long time. For wooden products, you can use stain or paint and varnish, and for iron structures - enamel specially designed for metal.
Vienna
To repair Viennese chairs yourself, you first need to assess their general condition. The amount of damage may vary depending on the operating conditions.
The most important damage that can be assessed at home is instability. This is due to the weakening of the spike joints. To bring the product back to its normal state, it is necessary to increase the size of the spike, put the seals on the drawers and replace the power bars. After that, the paintwork is replaced and the seat is restored.
To restore an obsolete structure, you need to prepare the basic materials and tools. To work, you need to get a hammer, furniture stapler, self-tapping screw, paints and varnishes, solvent, brushes, glue, scissors, cloth and sandpaper.
The renovation process begins with cleaning all surfaces of the product from dirt and dust. After that, the analysis of the chair begins. First, remove the seat and back, which are usually held in place by screws. Then, step by step, the rest of the details are removed. It is important to check the strength of all joints. If some attachment point does not hold well, then you should not disassemble it.
Disassembled elements must be replaced immediately so that no errors occur during the assembly process. All parts are smoothed with sandpaper in order to thoroughly clean them of old varnish. This is necessary so that after repainting the furniture, the new layer fits perfectly on the chair.
Next, be sure to inspect the places where the elements are glued. The top of the legs, which are attached in the grooves, must be wrapped in several layers of bandage, having smeared each layer with glue. If the leg wobbles very much, then a hole is made at the end, into which a small wedge is then driven in. Thus, the width of the end will increase, and the leg will firmly hold in the groove.
For side structures with a weakened seam on the inside, you need to make a hole, and use a syringe to inject an adhesive into it. You can also use greased matches and insert them into the socket when assembling the chair. In this case, the ends must be fitted with great accuracy so that no gaps are formed between them and the tsars.
The assembly of the structure begins with the complete gluing of all spike joints. Excess glue must be removed with a napkin. The product dries for about a day, and for maximum fixation, you need to put some heavy object on the seat.
To renew the seat, you need to get rid of the worn-out upholstery and fix all surface imperfections. If it is necessary to change the foam rubber, then on the new foam rubber sheet you need to draw a markup and cut out the part. The fabric that the seat will be upholstered with should be larger than the resulting seat. It is placed close to the surface and secured with paper clips on the back side.
The chair itself can be decorated in the Provence style. To do this, all wooden parts are painted, and after drying, they are processed with a grinder.
To fix the effect, you need to varnish the structure.
Updating parts
You can decorate the chair in various ways. Any materials can be used: paper, fabric, laces, paints, napkins, etc. It all depends on the imagination of the master and on the level of his skill. Naturally, if a person does not know how to work with complex equipment, then you should not resort to it. You need to start with something clearer.
With sisal
For this method, you can use both a wooden and a metal frame. For work, you will need a large ball of sisal rope, dense upholstery fabric such as velvet, a stapler, superglue, scissors, nails, a hammer, a pencil and a measuring tape.
You need to start repairs by removing the old upholstery from the seat and back. Then the details of the back are wrapped with sisal, smoothly passing to the legs. This must be done so that the rope fits snugly around the part and each subsequent row is close to the previous one. You need to fix the material with glue.
Having finished wrapping all the elements, you need to create a decoration on the back. To do this, a rope in several layers in 2-3 rows is wound first between the upper and lower rungs, and then between the side beams.
Having made a pattern for the new upholstery, you need to fasten it to the seat. For this, small nails or a stapler are suitable.
Wool yarn
To resort to this option, you will need a structure on a metal frame with a mesh back and a seat. For work, you need to prepare scissors, multi-colored woolen yarn, a crochet hook, a bar made of wood, a screwdriver and screws.
In this case, the mesh plays the role of a canvas, so double threads must be threaded through it in the diagonal direction. Moreover, each row can have a different color. You can use two contrasting colors or several shades of similar tone.
You can reinforce the damaged mesh with a few yarn stitches. After that, you need to cut a bar that will repeat the shape of the seat, and fix it with screws.
Decoupage from sewing patterns
This option works well for antique wood products with a hard seating position. For work, you will need patterns from magazines, glue, a brush, acrylic varnish, scissors, fabric, threads and a needle.
Surely at home each of us has one old, or even a couple of good solid wooden chairs, which, however,. And all would be fine, but their appearance leaves much to be desired. It seems that a thing with a history is almost a heirloom value, so it's a pity to throw it away. But why throw it away if there is a do-it-yourself chair restoration? It is not at all necessary to contact a master who can do this for you. After all, firstly, you still need to try hard to find such a master. And, secondly, in this old item you can embody your new ideas and design fantasies. Try your hand, and we will show you how to pull the chair with your own hands and make it a highlight of your interior!
Where to begin?
First of all, it is necessary to realistically assess the amount of work to be done. Remember that any chair, in whatever state it is. You can always replace worn and broken parts with new ones. After an objective look, you need to think about the end result. That is, what would you like to get out of this chair in the end. Think carefully in what room it will be located. And build on this further. The interior, which will house the updated chair, will become the starting point for home restoration of this piece of furniture.
Dyeing
Whatever renovation you are undertaking, painting or varnishing the surface of the chair is a must. To give this piece of furniture an updated look, you should get rid of the old coating. Therefore, you will need to use sandpaper. With its help, you can easily remove cracked paint or varnish. But first you must remove the seat and upholstery. For these purposes, use a hammer and, if necessary, a screwdriver. In some chairs, the seat is secured with nails, so you will need a nail puller to remove them. At the end of this stage, you can safely sand the legs, back and frame with sandpaper. If you decide to repair furniture at home, be prepared to do a good job with sandpaper. This is perhaps the most tedious step in wood restoration. Wood can be painted with several coats of varnish or paint, so at first it is better to work with coarse sandpaper. Grinding is carried out with fine-grained sandpaper.
Now you can go directly. It is known that wood very well absorbs any liquid. Therefore, our repairs will not be complete without a primer. It will allow the paint to spread more evenly over the surface and last much longer. The primer can be white or colorless. The first one is best used if you are going to dye the stool. A colorless primer will be needed for those who will continue to use varnish and do not want to overlap the wood texture. After applying one or more coats of primer, wait until it is completely dry. Now it remains to once again walk with a fine-grained sandpaper and start applying paint or varnish. But if you want to give the product an even more polished look, use a special wax balm. It is applied after the primer has dried before paint is applied. It should dry well, after which it will need to be carefully polished with a brush. Now you can paint. In order for the product to remain in its original form longer, it is best to apply two layers of dye, after allowing each to dry well.
You can implement your design ideas Sometimes the interior design does not provide for the use of soft seats. Therefore, the repair of the chair ends with painting the seat and screwing it to the frame. If you would like to completely renovate the chair using new upholstery, proceed to the next step.
Replacement of upholstery
It is important that the upholstery, the chair itself and the interior do not get out of the same design solution. Therefore, you need to think over everything in advance to the last detail. Use only dense upholstery fabric, even if you are not only repairing a soft seat, but also making a chair cushion.
Remove all staples from the old seat. This can be done easily with large tweezers. Now let's start replacing the batting. The pre-cut piece must be planted on hot melt glue and allowed to fix well. If this is the first furniture repair in your life, we recommend using a plain fabric. (and even more so in stripes) you will have to constantly check how evenly it is located. And for a beginner, it can be quite difficult and troublesome.
Be sure to leave a 5-centimeter (5 cm) supply of fabric around each edge. You can even a little more. Pin the fabric to the surface to control the position of the pattern. Tighten the upholstery gradually, securing it with a construction stapler at a distance of no more than 1–2 centimeters. Depending on the shape, the fabric at the corners can be fixed like this:
Now all that remains is to put the seat back in place and enjoy the work done!
As you can see, how it might seem at first. The main thing in work is to take your time and show maximum attention to detail! Be sure to share your tips for home renovation!