Restoring & Refinishing Furniture Articles

Restoring the finish on your furniture is a great way to enhance the style of your home. Instead of wasting a ton of money on new furniture, learn how easy it is to restore and refinish the pieces you currently have. Follow the step-by-step guides in this section and your furnishing will be good as new in no time. Read more

You can rejuvenate ordinary or tarnished furniture by refinishing it with the right type of stain or paint. If you plan to paint the furniture, you must condition the surface a particular way, depending on its condition, or it will ultimately shed its new finish. Read more

Freshen up Your Decor by Refinishing Furniture Hosts Pat Simpson and Amanda Rosseter provide even the most novice do-it-yourselfer step-by-step instruction with the help of refinishing expert Harry Wicks. Read more

When DIY Life was asked to participate in the week-long Martha Stewart Living Blog Tour, we jumped at the chance to get firsthand, Martha-approved advice about the art of refinishing furniture. Read more

Refinishing old wooden furniture is a green choice because it keeps old furniture out of the landfill, restores its beauty, and puts it to good use. Some furniture refinishing products have high levels of toxicity, but new and better products that do less harm to mother Earth and her inhabitants are widely available. Read more

Paint Stripping Tips

Paint stripping can remove multiple layers of finish and reveal the woods true beauty. This process is usually reserved for interior woods that are either exotic in nature or have a historic value. The exact method needed depends on the type of finish to be removed and the woods profile. The good news is that most paints and clear finishes can be removed with off-the-shelf products. Read more

Whether it's removing paint from baseboards and trim, or removing the varnish from a vintage piece of furniture, chances are you'll need to use some paint strippers to do the job. There are numerous products for these types of jobs available in the paint department of your home center. Brad Staggs provides some basic information about how to select and use them. Read more

Soy Gel Projects

And so, against the advice of the majority, I decided to experiment with stripping back the bright red fireplace. After lots of online research, I came across a product which is apparently 100% made from soybeans, is non-toxic and practically odor free. Read more


I wish I could say I got the idea for re-finishing my hardwood floor from looking at a cast iron frying pan. But I didn't. I think if I had Lynda may have had good grounds for having me committed. But once I had the floor finished it hit me … it really is like a well-seasoned cast iron frying pan now. Read more

Testimonials

There must be 20 different kinds of paint and varnish removers on the market today. And when you look at their labels, and see all the cautions, you sometimes think twice about whether you really want to remove paint at all. That's why when I found Soy Gel; I knew I had found something great..Read more

Soy Gel on DIY Website

Franmar Soy Gel check out this eco-friendly solution to stripping paint from surfaces. Read more



United Soybean Board Recognition

Franmar Chemical®, Inc. manufactures a multi-purpose paint remover/stripper, Soy Gel™. According to Franmar, Soy Gel™ is an industrial strength and consumer friendly paint, varnish, and urethane remover... Read more

Learn more about the Franmar line of effective, affordable, and safe products available.