Oak is a wood known for it’s great strength and hardness, so it makes great furniture. An oak piece is sturdy and is not likely to be damaged by the normal wear and tear of a house (antics of children, accidental damage, etc.). Additionally an oak furniture piece is a great investment for your home as it adds value from an interior design perspective. Oak is a warm, vibrant wood to have in a house and it adds a rustic, out-in-the-country feel to the home. The true value of oak lies in the wood’s solidness and durability. Oak furniture will last you a long time whether it is finished professionally or you finish it yourself.

But what are the advantages of unfinished oak furniture over finished oak furniture? The biggest one, as with all unfinished furniture, is the ability to finish it yourself. This means researching the best method for finishing oak furniture, and there are several methods for doing so. I’ll outline the best one here for the sake of convenience before moving on.

The best method for finishing oak is to fume it using ammonia so that the wood is treated evenly, giving it a uniform tone and preserving and enhancing the sturdiness of the wood. With the wrong finish, the sturdiness of the wood can even be degraded instead of protected. Staining oak instead of fuming it can leave some parts of the wood dark and others light because the stain does not affect all parts of the wood the same way. The reason that fuming the wood with ammonia works so well is that the ammonia reacts favorably with the tannic acid present in the wood. Let’s take a look at how the fuming process actually works.

Fuming is not difficult, but it calls for great care and attention. First, the piece to be finished is put into an airtight box or cabinet. On the floor of the box or cabinet should be placed shallow dishes containing a solution of twenty-six percent aqua ammonia. Depending on how airtight the compartment is, the time required to fully fume the wood varies, but as a general rule forty-eight hours is well enough. If the piece cannot be fumed due to size, an alternative treatment is to apply the ammonia directly to the wood with a sponge or brush. No matter which of the two is used, fuming or application, the wood must be in its natural condition for the ammonia to take effect. Previous oiling or staining will prevent the ammonia from reacting with the tannic acids.

After the wood is treated and the wood has dried thoroughly, sandpaper the wood carefully, then apply a second coat. After the second coat has dried, sandpaper it again. This way you will achieve a finished oak furniture piece that will not only look good but add to the value of whatever space you use it in.

Related posts:

  1. How to Finish your Furniture
  2. Unfinished Pine Furniture
  3. Buying Cheap Unfinished Furniture
  4. Get the Style You Want With Unfinished Furniture
  5. Why Buy Unfinished Furniture?

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