If you have some pine furniture at home that you feel might need a bit of updating one way to do this is to treat it. There are many different ways to treat pine furniture and they are not particularly difficult to do. Of course you can buy pine furniture treated in different ways if you are not DIY inclined, but if you love crafts then why not have a go at doing something different and unique.

If your pine furniture has already been painted or varnished it will need to stripped back to the original wood. While you can do this with a sanding tool often this will be a long job, and you will have to be careful to get an even finish. You can purchase untreated pine furniture which is less expensive.

First of all, make sure you have a sunny dry day and lay a piece of fabric out to protect the floor outside from drips. Put on googles and protective gloves. Bring your pine furniture outside and take a good look at it. Remove any nails or anything metal that you won’t be able to sand down. It might be a good idea to take a photo of your furniture so you know where hinges and screws, metal door fittings and any decorative pieces fit back onto your furniture before you remove them.

Which Type of Finish?

There are lots of possible types of finish on your pine furniture and you will need to test to find which one you have. You can put a bit of denatured alcohol onto the wood and wait to see if there is a reaction. If the finish turns to liquid, it is shellac finish. If it just gets soft but doesn’t form a liquid, then it is probably a mix of shellac and lacquer.

You will find a lacquer thinner will remove the lacquer, but if you try to remove a mixture of shellac and lacquer then it will soften and not liquefy, use a half and half mixture of denatured alcohol and thinner to remove the finish.

Since both these solvents evaporate quickly the best way to proceed is to work a small area at a time and use an old brush that can be thrown away. Once all the finish is off you can just sand down the wood and reveal its natural beauty.

If your item of furniture is painted, then you will need to use a paint remover to take off the paint. Remember that these solvents are chemicals that you will need thorough protection from, they can be dangerous if they are inhaled and so you need a well ventilated area to work in.

After you have removed the finish you can decide what you want to put on the pine furniture. You could varnish using a clear varnish to just show off the knots and grains of the wood. Another way to achieve a more matte effect is to wax your furniture. Wax protects the pine but still allows the wood to be seen.

You could try a coloured varnish to suit the rest of your décor, varnishes come in a wide variety of colours and tones so you are sure to be able to find one that is just right for you.

Another style you might want to try with your pine furniture is painting it. That way it is very protected but you can pick a paint that will co-ordinate with your current colour scheme.

You may feel like this sounds like too much hard work and worry about the possibility of having a finishing disaster. If so, why not make the investment and buy some quality pine furniture from a reputable dealer? Then you will have a wonderful piece of furniture that you can call your own without the work or risk to health of removing and treating your pine furniture. If you want your old furniture removed, then you could hand them on to a local charity shop who would be able to it up for you. It could be the safer and easier option!