In this article, you will learn how you can avoid the need to restore your newly purchased headset, what to do if it is unavoidable, and see a selection of before and after photos.
The service life of everyone, even the highest quality and professionally processed material, depends on the optimal operating conditions. In the case of wooden furniture, important factors are:
- temperature conditions – the best will be the range from +15 to +25 degrees;
- required humidity level – from 70 to 75%
- regular ventilation of the room;
- exposure to direct sunlight – from ultraviolet radiation, wooden coatings can lose their brightness, therefore, all surfaces exposed to such a threat should be covered with a special varnish with a UV filter;
- proper care – it is not recommended to use large amounts of water, it is better to wipe the surfaces with a damp, soaked in soapy solution (or better, in a special means for washing wood) with a soft and well-wrung out cloth or sponge, and then wipe them dry; Aggressive detergents or abrasive, scratching hard brushes or napkins can also pose a hazard.
Compliance with these conditions will help your headset retain its original appearance as long as possible.
But what if your kitchen furniture already needs restoration? Scratches, indelible stains, the consequences of mechanical damage – no one is immune from this.
In this case, you can:
- replace facades;
- seek help from specialists;
- undertake the restoration yourself.
Unlike facades made of plastic or other modern artificial materials, repairing kitchen furniture made from natural wood is possible and quite simple, and as a result, your set will look even better than new. It all depends on the type and degree of damage, as well as on the protective coating and shape of your facades.
Restoration of straight facades
Let’s start with the simplest form of furniture. First of all, remove all facades in order to work on horizontal surfaces. Do not forget to mark the location of each element (for example, on the inside of the facade) – later this will simplify their installation. The handles and hinges from the facades must be removed, if desired, also marked.
Whatever damage you encounter, believe me, in most cases you can fix it yourself.
Restoration of untreated, i.e. kitchen facades made of solid wood not covered with paint or enamel, in case of stains or shallow cracks, consists in varnishing, painting or covering with self-adhesive vinyl film. But before that, all the removed facades must be well washed and dried.
For varnishing you need:
- in the case of cracks, first putty the surfaces with a special compound for wood, and then proceed to sanding and all subsequent points;
- to eliminate stains, it is necessary to grind the surfaces with coarse or medium-grained, and then with fine-grained sandpaper;
- degrease the surfaces and apply a transparent primer or stain to protect the wood, let it dry;
- we varnish the facade in 2-3 layers, with each layer reducing the amount of tint component and leaving the last layer transparent;
- after the varnish has dried, enjoy your work and put everything in its place.
You can drastically change the look of your kitchen by painting the fronts in any other bright color. The course of action during painting is similar: degreasing → grinding → re-degreasing → stain → painting. In this case, you can use stencils and apply a drawing on some or all planes.
If the wood on the facade is swollen, it must first be leveled, i.e. jointing – manually or on a machine. If the cabinets have become wider from excess moisture and do not close, you can trim them by cutting off the excess. In the case when the wood, on the contrary, has dried up, and a gap has appeared, you can glue a strip or strip, first leveling the surface.
If painted or enameled wood requires restoration, first of all it is necessary to remove this coating – by chemical (solvent) or mechanical (sandpaper) method. Then you can use the above options or update your headset with a self-adhesive tape. The variety of textures and colors makes this material quite popular in the restoration of kitchen facades.
But we must warn you about the following:
- you should not purchase the most budgetary version of the film – it may not last long;
- take a little more material than you think will be necessary, because reapplication of the film is not possible, and if you are not a professional adhesive technician, you may need to fill your hand.
Restoration of paneled facades
This type of facades consists of a strapping – a frame or a groove, a panel – a convex middle part and jumpers that are located between them. Cracks and stains on paneled facades are eliminated in the same way as on straight lines. But there are also some peculiarities.
Due to the decrease in humidity in the apartment, the panel can shrink in width, tearing the layer of varnish, which is why light streaks become visible between it and the strapping. This is especially noticeable on furniture of dark shades. A way out of the situation can be varnishing or painting with a thin brush.
Important: It is common for the panel to dry out in winter, when we all turn on the heating, and to get up in the same place in the summer, when the humidity is more suitable. If everything happens this way for you, then perhaps you should not rush to the restoration, but rather buy a humidifier?
From an excess of moisture, the panel swells and can tear the strapping – then it can be trimmed to the required size (fugue or cleaned) by dismantling the entire structure.
There is another option – replacing the panel. Instead, you can insert glass, stained glass, rattan mesh, bamboo canvas – whatever you like, thereby bringing novelty or exoticism to your interior. Since one different detail can lead to dissonance in the interior, consider placing several new panels symmetrically.
We hope that everything we have written will be of use to you and we wish you to discover a talented restorer in yourself!
