| like any item that costs higher when they are | | | | either wood glue or wood clamps. If glue is used, |
| antique, park benches are also some of the most | | | | leave them to dry overnight. Any hole that need |
| sought after pieces of street furniture. Not only | | | | to be filled should be puttied and if any bench |
| are they valuable, they are also beautiful pieces | | | | parts are destroyed remove each of them and |
| that can lend an elegant feel to any place with | | | | have them sandblasted to make them look new |
| their classic looks. However, benches such as | | | | again. Once the bench is on a good state already |
| these are becoming harder to find and in such | | | | with all the sandblasting and gluing, apply a |
| cases when they are found they are either in bad | | | | water-based sealer as a primer before coating |
| shaped or need extreme restorations. | | | | the furniture with a new coat of paint. This |
| Fortunately, just following a few simple steps can | | | | procedure is very important for street furniture |
| now easily restore an antique park bench. The | | | | because it does not only help protecting and |
| first step of restoration for this kind of street | | | | sealing the paint but also serves as the base |
| furniture is preparing a bristle brush to be used to | | | | colour of the bench coating. |
| remove the loose paint or accumulated dirt on | | | | For wooden park benches that need to be |
| the metalwork or wooden planks of the bench. | | | | restored on their original wood finish, it is best to |
| After the debris has been removed, the bench | | | | bring them to a furniture restorer and have them |
| should be cleaned with soap and water to | | | | stripped before starting to apply the sealer. In |
| remove dirt that was stuck on the middle surface | | | | applying the paint, it is important to remove or |
| of the bench material. | | | | cover any metal areas with tape before doing the |
| After cleaning the surfaces, it is time to scrape | | | | painting. Applying 2 to four coatings of paint is |
| off any loose paint with the use of sandpapers | | | | usually the range recommended though wood |
| with at least 50 grits. In choosing for the | | | | usually requires the 2-coat rule because they |
| roughness of the sandpaper, choose one that can | | | | absorb the colour faster. After painting, remove |
| effectively remove the loose paints while not | | | | the tape on the metal parts and proceed to |
| destroying the base of the bench material. After | | | | applying 1 to 4 coats of clear metal sealant on |
| the initial scrubbing of 50 grits, change the | | | | the bench surface to help prevent rusting and |
| sandpaper into 80 grits finish and end it with a | | | | preserve the wooden or iron cast. It does |
| 120-grit roughness for even scrubbing. After the | | | | seemed hard to do it this way but once you get |
| scraping for metal or aluminium benches, use a | | | | started restoring the furniture and complete the |
| steel brush to remove the metal debris on the | | | | restoration, you would surely feel great |
| bench. | | | | satisfaction just like the feeling of recreating a |
| When the cleaning is done, the next step is to | | | | masterpiece. |
| repair all the broken wood boards with the use of | | | | |