No matter how careful the moving team is, or how much you yell at your significant other not to carry the “FRAGILE” box upside-down, something will always break during a move. Don’t be discouraged when you see the damage; most of it is fixable. Here are a few tips to help you touch up your furniture to have it looking almost like new again.
Remove Wall Paint and Touch-Up Scratches on Stained Furniture
Furniture touch-up pens are one of the most versatile tools in your touch-up toolkit. They can be found in the “furniture parts” aisle of almost any hardware store. Touch-up pens come in a variety of colors. If possible bring a drawer or some part of the furniture you are trying to touch up to match the finish.
Tools:
– Furniture pen that matches your finish
– Two paper towels (one damp, one dry)
How to Touch Up Scratches and Remove Paint on Furniture:
1.) Use a damp towel to clean the area you will be working on. Dry the area completely before moving to step two.
2.) Using the touch-up pen, draw on the scratch or paint mark.
3.) Immediately wipe with the dry paper towel in the direction of the wood grain. The paint residue should begin to come off. For scratches, wiping off the excess blends the ink into the wood for a more natural appearance.
4.) Repeat step three until the scratch matches the rest of the finish or the paint is gone.
5.) If paint has been on the wood for an extended period, you might need to attempt the removal several times. In the end, a damp paper towel and your fingernail might be your best option.
How to Fix Broken Molding
With thin pieces of molding there is always the worry that a tack nail will split the wood. Instead of taking a chance with a nail, use superglue.
Tip: When holding the molding in place to dry, do not put one finger on top of the other to increase pressure. This is a very good way to glue your fingers together for several hours.
For larger pieces of molding, superglue might help keep the molding in place, but additional reinforcement is needed.
Tools:
– Superglue
– Nail gun with air compressor and appropriately sized nails. If you do not have a nail gun, a regular hammer and nails will also work.
– Touch-up furniture pen
How to reattach a large piece of molding
1.) Apply a generous amount of superglue to the broken molding.
2.) Hold in place for 30 seconds (or for the time suggested on the glue’s instructions) while simultaneously using a paper towel to wipe off any glue that has seeped through the cracks.
3.) Reinforce the glue with tack nails. If using a nail gun, wear ear and eye protection, and make sure your fingers are not in the nail’s path.
4.) Touch up the seams with a furniture touch-up pen.
