How To Preserve The Finish Of Varnished Wood

When homeowners revamp old pieces of wooden furniture in their home, many will choose to use a wood varnish to provide additional protection to the piece. Some will even use various wood varnish colours to give the furniture a new lease of life too. In fact, varnish is probably one of the most popular finishes available for wooden furniture, and wooden surfaces, and not only does it always look amazing, but it is durable and easy to maintain as well.

However, whilst varnished wood is undoubtedly low maintenance, if you’re wanting your furniture to look as good as new for many years to come then you do need to perform some tasks to preserve the finish. Thankfully, this isn’t difficult to do and you don’t need to be an expert to keep your varnished furniture in good condition. To help homeowners, below we have looked into some really easy ways to ensure your varnished wooden furniture doesn’t deteriorate over time.

Use additional protection on your varnished surfaces

When you’re using varnished pieces of furniture like coffee tables, dining tables and vanity tables, it is important to still protect the surface. Whilst a varnish finish does give some protection to the wood, it isn’t indestructible, so ideally you should try to use things like coasters and placemats when possible. This will help to prevent any liquid from sitting on top of the varnish for long periods of time.

Regularly give the surfaces a wipe over 

To keep your varnished wood furniture and surfaces looking their best, whenever you clean the rest of your home, simply wipe over them with a dry lint-free cloth. This will help to prevent a build-up of dirt and dust, and keep the shine to the varnish. If there are stubborn marks on varnished wood, you can use a damp cloth, but you should be careful when doing so. Always use a dry cloth immediately after a damp cloth to help prevent any damage to the finish.

Spray the wooden surface with polish every now and then

If you notice that any varnished wood has completely lost its shine and is starting to look a bit dull, you can use a furnish polish to give it a boost. Just be sure to use a polish that is suitable for varnished wood, it should tell you on the product’s packaging. Don’t use polish too frequently though as this can cause buildup on top of the wood varnish.

Similarly to polish, you can also use some types of wax to give a surface a soft sheen and smooth feel, just be sure to purchase the correct products and follow all instructions properly.

Add additional layers of wood varnish if required

Over time, if your varnished wood furniture is starting to look worse for wear and quite tatty, you can always add another layer or two of varnish. Ideally, you should lightly sand down the current surface and take the time to fully prepare the furniture before you add the varnish, this will provide you with the best finished look. Depending on the condition of the surface, you may find that you need to completely remove the old varnish and start again, so to speak.

Paint over the varnished wood for a whole new look

Whilst this isn’t necessarily a preservation tip, it is worthwhile noting that it is possible to paint varnished wood as well. So, should your interior design change over time and you’d like to change the colour of a piece of furniture, you are able to. Often, you can simply sand the varnished surface down, this helps the paint stick to the surface, and then apply your colour of choice. It is recommended that you use water-based or oil-based paints.

Purchasing wood varnish for your furniture

Hopefully, when using the tips above, you can ensure that your varnished wooden furniture, or any other varnished surfaces, stand the test of time and continue to look amazing for many years to come. It is fair to say that preserving the finish of varnished wood is incredibly straightforward, so you really shouldn’t overlook doing the very little that is required in this regard, you can then have beautiful looking furniture throughout your home.

If you’re currently revamping some old pieces of furniture and you’re looking for somewhere to purchase wood varnish, be sure to visit the Decor Express website. We have a huge range of different exterior and interior varnish products to choose from, all of which are from well-known brands, so you can trust that we will have the perfect products for you. Should you have any questions at all regarding which type of wood varnish would be best to use for your project, don’t hesitate to contact us today, our friendly team is always happy to help.