Furniture restoration Kempton Park

Restoration usually means repairing loose joints, replacing missing veneer or parts, stripping the old finish, sanding, and applying a new finish such as oil, wax, varnish or paint. The aim is to keep the character of the piece while making it sound and usable.

Refinishing a small piece like a side table starts around R1,200 to R2,500 in Kempton Park. Larger pieces such as dressers, dining tables and wardrobes range from R3,000 to R8,000 or more depending on damage and finish.

Solid timber pieces, especially imbuia, stinkwood, teak, oak and yellowwood, are almost always worth restoring. The materials and construction are usually better than modern equivalents. Veneered board furniture is a case-by-case decision.

Oil and wax give a natural look and are easy to maintain but offer less protection. Polyurethane varnish is hard-wearing for tables. Paint suits pine and pieces where the grain is not worth showing. A restorer will advise on what suits the timber.

Small pieces take about a week including drying time between coats. Large or badly damaged pieces can take two to four weeks, as stripping, repairs and multiple finish coats cannot be rushed.