Green Renovations – A refinishing challenge!

I recently was asked to refinish a dresser but do it using green techniques and materials, and have it match the rest of the suite. What I found was the project required both research and experimentation. There are not many options in large home improvement stores other than Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) for stripping and refinishing. But I did succeed. The removal of the old finish went well – with lots of TLC sanding. In consultation with my professional paint supplier we were able to determine the existing finish so as to come up with a rematch process. As it was a natural finish I commenced with a water-based polyurethane. Tannins (looked like I spilled tea all over my project) soaked into the wood from the water based polyurethane, darkening some areas of the wood. Solution - sand again! Anyways, after sanding, applying water based sanding sealer, sanding and 4 layers of water-based polyurethane with sanding between coats – we have the match to the old finish. At first if you do not succeed, sand and sand again!

Summary - research, test, do, and enjoy – a green solution.