Bar Room Furniture – 3 ways to keep them looking as good as new [Part III]
3rd way to make your bar room furniture last and last
In my previous post, I explained the importance of regular maintenance. The simple things like wiping up spills fast and tightening loose screws that make such a difference when repair costs are counted. I was basically explaining what you should do. Now let me say what you should Not do.
Wear and tear to the furniture is unavoidable, after all, people are seating on the chairs, eating on your bistro dining tables, spilling food on them, cracking peanuts on them etc etc, the list goes on. While regular maintenance will help to forestall damage to your furniture, lets make it clear, it will happen. Overtime, checks or splits may appear or even worse , if improperly finished, the wood just might warp making your bartop to curl weirdly in one corner. Deep scratches and a worn varnish will allow moisture to get into the wood causing irreparable damage, changing the colors and causing it to expand unevenly to get, warping.
Now have I scared you enough ? The simplest nicks in the wood can accumulate into a huge problem if left unchecked. And thats not the end of it. If the chair gives way due to the rotting wood caused by moisture seepage, ho, let the lawsuits fly.
You think, “ Its just replacing the lacquer, no sweat, or oh noo I better get this fixed fast “. Well, if there is just very minor damage or you have some expertise in wood working and have a knowledgeable friend. By all means go ahead. But if you don’t, this is not something you should DIY. Before repainting the gel lacquer coat, the old coat will have to be stripped to ensure a proper finish. This entails long hours of sanding and after all that, proper application of a primer to make sure it sticks properly. If not well done, the gel coat might well peel off after drying.
The basic message I wanna bring across is, leave furniture restoration to the pros. Let the carpenters and wood workers that have been doing this for decades do it for you. The investment in time and money will pay off over the long term. And you can keep your furniture last and last and last.
