The Types Of Antique Wood Furniture Finishing

The finish type applied to the antique furniture wood has to be considered while evaluating and taking care of that vintage furniture. In all possibilities, the finish serves as the clue to the age the antique piece has reached and dictates the way for taking care of the antique pieces. So, the professionals looking after furniture finishing for the antique pieces, resort to the distinct finishes to surprise the furniture owners.

At large, the furniture finishing experts in Hobart will follow the finishes as further discussed in this section.

The Vivid Types of Furniture Finishes

The wood furniture is finely finished for ensuring wood protection and for decorating it. Being a porous material, wood as well as unfinished wood is capable of absorbing moisture and dirt. The purpose behind the finish is to put up a wall against moisture and dirt. Even the finish adds a decorative element to the wood by means of added color, in case of stain is added along with shine.

Furniture finishes are primarily categorized into film and oil.

Oil Finishes
Penetrating deep, the oil finishes form a barrier right below the wood surface. In fact, they even create an extremely thin film on the wood. Straight oil, like linseed oil, is used for oil finishes.
But wood is not well protected through the oil finishes since the film on the wood surface is extremely thin.
Long ago, linseed oil was used because of its easy availability and cheap prices. Till today, oil finishes are being used on antique and new furniture, since applying them is much easier. In fact, they impart a natural look to the surface of the finished wood.

Film Finishes
A film is created on the wood surface through the film finishes, and application of successive finishing coats, the desired thickness can be built up. The wood surface is better protected by the film finishes since they leave behind a thicker film on the wood surface that protects the wood against scratches and water. The common film finishes are water-based and varnish.

A large collection of 18th-century furniture and the entire 19th-century furniture are finished using varnish and shellac. The water base finish had developed in the 20th century to address the concerns over pollution.

Wax Finishes
The simple wax finishes are in use for long, specifically on the country pine and rustic furnishings, since it emits a soft and a satiny appearance. With a new application, wax can be restored easily and brightened. The dull and damaged spots can be easily blended. The only disadvantage is that the wax finishes can be easily stained and spotted from water, cosmetics, and alcohol.

Shellac
Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, shellac had been the most favored finish. Shellac is defined as the natural resin that the lac bugs secret. Applying shellac is easier. Earlier in the 19th century, the rubbing shellac technique had been invented for achieving a superb high shine, which is called French Polishing. Regardless of its potentially appealing look, shellac is extremely susceptible to damages by water, heat, and alcohol. These can be scratched easily.

Varnish
The most durable of the general film finishes is varnish. The varnish is oil-made, and since the 19th century, it is being used as a furniture finish. But the resins have changed to synthetic ones from the natural ones in the 20th century. Now several varnishes are available – which are all secured from different resins. The best-known varnish is Polyurethane.

French Polish
Although French Polish is extremely laborious and a traditional furniture finishing technique yet it bestows a glossy and bright appearance. It gives a lot of emphasis on the beautiful wood’s rich color and grains.
This method is especially popular all over Europe. French polish is extremely sensitive to damages, expensive in applying originally, and even for repairing.

Natural Varnish
Although the true natural varnish is rarely used nowadays. Although it is still durable and extremely attractive yet it calls for much skilled applications. For a successful finish, the experts have to apply many slow-drying coats and take up a detailed surface preparation.

Traditional Lacquer Finishes
For more than 100 years, traditional lacquer finishes have been ruling the industry. This method has an excellent stain resistance capacity, it wears well. Re-touching and re-coating can be done fairly easily. Being hard and fairly brittle, it is sometimes likely for the finish to chip and cracks. Sometimes, it might become crazed and crackled – and roughened over time. In classic lacquers, dangerous and strong solvents are used.

Ultimately, even if the wax is normally applied over the finish as the polish, sometimes it is used in the form of a finish since it leaves behind the least impact on the wood's appearance. Almost, there is no
In the end, an important point must be mentioned that one single finish is neither right nor the end for any antique furniture finishing. The experts first analyze and then start with furniture finishing treatment. The other factors influencing the enhancement and preservation of antique wood furniture for the present and future are durability, aesthetics, and cost.