Types of wax for furniture and features of its use

The house is decorated with wooden furniture, reign warmth and comfort. It is only a pity that over time, an expensive cabinet or whatnot can dry out and become covered with a web of cracks. Furniture wax will breathe new life into the tree and return the furniture to its original splendor and beauty. This professional product can be used not only on clean, but also on varnished surfaces.

Varieties of furniture wax

Furniture wax contains natural substances:

• beeswax;
• vegetable oil;
• drying oil;
• wood resin;
• esters of conifers.

There are three varieties of the mixture: hard, soft and liquid. They differ in consistency and scope.

• Soft. Applied to update the appearance of wooden products. With this composition, you can patch small dents and chips, retouch cracks and scratches, give the wooden surface smoothness or change the color. The soft mixture penetrates deep into the wood, only a small part of the product remains on the surface of the product. A rich palette will allow you to choose the right color.
• Solid. The mixture has a dense consistency, which allows the use of this tool to eliminate severe damage. The solid composition can repair deep cracks in the interior doors, restore the edge of the countertop or a broken corner of the chair. Unlike the previous type of finishing material, hard wax is very resistant to mechanical stress.
• Liquid. Through the use of special synthetic additives, the product acquires a liquid consistency. It is applied to a wooden surface with a paint brush. Liquid substance penetrates into the smallest cracks and dries quickly. Two hours after processing, the updated furniture is ready for further use.

Soft and liquid waxes are sold ready to use. The solid mixture must be melted before starting work.

If you need to carry out restoration work on a small surface, you can buy a special wax pencil. To process large areas, it is better to purchase bulk containers.

Pros and cons of furniture wax

Compared to varnish or paint, which is also commonly used for the restoration of wooden products, professional furniture wax has a significant advantage.

Here are the main advantages of this tool:

• excellent water repellent qualities;
• lack of substances harmful to health;
• nice smell;
• the ability to eliminate deep cracks and chips;
• gives the furniture a silky sheen;
• quickly absorbed and dries;
• preserves the relief of wood.

If we talk about the shortcomings, then first of all it should be noted low protective properties for wood compared to varnish. In addition, with the help of wax it is impossible to retouch areas of wood burned out in the sun or stains from moisture.

How to use wax for furniture restoration

Begin work with the preparation of the surface, which it decided to update. In order for wax to penetrate the inner layers of wood, it is necessary to remove the coating from varnish or paint, if any. To do this, the furniture is treated with a solvent, and then cleaned with sandpaper.

Grease stains or other stains before waxing. If desired, you can whiten the entire wooden surface with an emery cloth or grinder.

If the furniture is made of pure wood, without coating, it is enough to free it from dust and small debris with a vacuum cleaner and a soft cloth, and you can start processing.

To eliminate serious flaws, it is advisable to use solid wax. This tool has a very thick viscous consistency, so it must be melted before starting work.

To update the furniture with a solid mixture, you must do the following:

1. Using a soldering iron, gas burner or a regular lighter, part of the wax pencil is melted and applied to the surface to be treated. It is necessary to act as quickly as possible, since the tool seizes within a few seconds.
2. Excess material is removed with a blunt knife or spatula.
3. The place treated with wax is polished with a rag of rough matter.

To give the furniture a natural shine, you must apply the wax again as soon as the first coat is completely dry.

Without a certain amount of work experience, dealing with the application of solid composition is not easy. Therefore, it is better to first experiment on an old stool or other unnecessary thing and only then proceed with the restoration of the central situation.

Soft wax for furniture is much easier to handle. This product is sold ready-made, it does not have to be melted, and the soft mixture solidifies within an hour. So if something did not work out the first time, there is always time to fix small flaws.

With soft wax they work as follows:

1. The jar with the purchased product is opened and a rubber spatula is applied to the place that needs repair.
2. Carefully level the composition on the surface, trying to completely fill the grooves and crevices in the wood.
3. Excess material is removed with a knife or spatula.
4. Leave the restored product for 20-25 minutes, allowing the finishing mixture to dry thoroughly.
5. Polish the surface with a dense felt or cotton cloth.

If after the first treatment the desired result was not achieved, you can repeat the process by applying a little more mixture and increasing the drying time to one hour.

Professional furniture wax will allow you to update old furniture and decorate new, eliminate cracks, chips and dents, improve the moisture-proofing properties of wooden products. Ease of use, a variety of colors, affordable cost make this tool popular and indispensable among home masters.