Q: Years ago, my mother stripped most of the old finish off my great-grandmother’s oak rocker. I would love to have it refinished. In addition, some of the glued joints are loose. Any suggestions on where to go and on how much refinishing to do? A: Because most of the old finish is gone, preserving the old finish isn’t really an option. Whatever finish remains should be removed so that you wind up with a new finish that’s uniform. To tighten the loose joints, the chair will need to be at least partially disassembled, using spreader clamps or a wooden or rubber mallet. Then the existing glue needs to be scraped out, new glue applied and everything clamped tightly until the glue dries. Antique chairs are often held together with hide glue, which has fallen out of favor because it’s not as strong as modern PVA (or polyvinyl acetate) white and yellow woodworking glues, which create a bond that’s stronger than wood. But repairing a chair made with hide glue is a lot easier because it softens readily with heat or warm water and so is easy to remove.
And when it fails, joints loosen but the wood itself does not rip apart, as it can with the more tenacious glues. ), matches the new glue to the type that he scrapes out of the joints. For most antique chairs, that means hide glue; for more modern ones, yellow glue. To repair broken parts other than joints, he often uses two-part epoxy. Depending on how much finish is left on your chair, he might use a chemical stripper, applied by brush, never by dipping. The finish would depend on what look you want. His guess is that the original finish was shellac or an early lacquer. The modern equivalent would be sprayed-on lacquer, which would produce a durable, easy-to-care-for finish. But if you wanted an oil finish, he could do that instead. Hawksford estimated the total cost at $250 to $350. ) in Charlotte Hall, Md., estimated $350, which would include a golden oak stain to achieve the original look and several coats of varnish. This company picks up and delivers throughout the Washington area for an additional charge.
Several other shops quoted separate prices for regluing and refinishing, which might be useful if you want to leave the tricky disassembly and regluing to a pro but tackle the finishing steps yourself. Corey Powers, owner of American Hardwoods (301-588-0363, americanhardwoodsinc.net) in Silver Spring, estimated the gluing would cost $200 and refinishing about $400. ) in Silver Spring, estimated $235 for gluing and $375-$400 for refinishing. When customers want to apply finish themselves, he recommends Minwax polyurethane in a satin finish so brushstrokes don’t show. When he applies finish, he sprays lacquer. I have an aged concrete patio with cracks or veins where weeds are growing. How can I make the patio look decent without redoing the entire thing? Can I just clean out the weeds and then fill the veins with liquid spray and coat the whole patio with special paint for concrete surfaces? You can make the concrete look a lot better by pulling the weeds and scrubbing the concrete, using a power washer or just a scrub brush and hose.
But if the weeds are thick and deep-rooted, “pulling the weeds” isn’t as easy as it sounds. A quick alternative is to give them a close haircut with a string trimmer. They will soon regrow, but if you use the patio only occasionally, it’s an easy and fast solution. For more of an upgrade, you’ll need to completely remove the weeds. The thin shaft of a dandelion weeder can be a big help. Use a wire brush to remove dirt and concrete chips, then thoroughly clean the concrete. If you have access to an air compressor, put on goggles and blow debris out of the cracks. Fill cracks up to a half-inch wide and a quarter-inch deep with a product such as Sakrete Concrete Crack Filler ($10.56 per quart at Home Depot). If the cracks are deeper, fill them with sand to about a quarter-inch from the surface so the sealant gets a firm grip on the concrete on both sides but doesn’t have to flex downward as much if the crack continues to move. For wider cracks, you will need to chisel out channels that are wider on the bottom than the top so the patches don’t come out.
Use a cement-and-sand mix (without gravel) such as Sakrete Sand Mix ($6.10 for 60 pounds at Home Depot). Brush the edges of the surrounding concrete with concrete bonding adhesive, which is similar to white glue and sold in jugs. Once the concrete is patched, you can coat it with a concrete resurfacing product such as Sakrete Flo-Coat Resurfacer ($19.27 for a 20-pound pail). Apply it with a squeegee. A concrete resurfacer is more durable on outdoor surfaces than paint. Have a problem in your home? Send questions to . Put “How To” in the subject line, tell us where you live and try to include a photo. More from Lifestyle: Home maintenance is expensive, time-consuming and hard. This makes it easier. Stay-cool strategies from the old school — and a few new ones, too How to replace pool tiles that have fallen off How to repair a crumbling flagstone patioEveryday low prices on bath vanities! I've come here for a quick key copy, sink replacement, curtains, lights, tools, and even rented a ladder.”
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