Wood and metal elements add to the charm and personality of your home, but only if they look smart! Over time, they tend to lose lustre, looking grubby. Worn-out furniture or a metal artefact is an eyesore, you will agree. What do you do then? Replace them?
No way! Why would you when you can bring their smooth and glossy look back with good polishing?
Be it metal or wood, a good polish (with the right procedure) can help in the periodic maintenance of your belongings, and at the same time, prolong their life.
Wood Polishing – All you need to know
Though durable, wood is subjected to wear and tear because of its use. It also gets affected by moisture, heat and other natural factors. Wood polishing helps retain its appeal and also brings out the natural qualities of wood.
Wood Polish Categories
The two main categories of wood polish are surface polish and penetrating wood polish. As the names suggest, the former is for the surface of the wood and the latter is oil-based and penetrates the composition of the wood.
Wood polishes can be water-based or oil-based. The advantage of water-based polish is that it works on all types of wood surfaces. It dries quickly and lends a natural appearance to the polished wood. A point to note is that water-based finishes need expert and experienced hands, or else the surface may show brush marks and look shabby.
Oil-based finishes take time to dry, so that can be inconvenient for some, but they lend a luxurious finish to the wood.
Types of Wood Polish
The different types of wood polish are:
Melamine polish
It just takes 20 minutes for the polish to dry and makes the wood non-breathable as it closes all the pores on the wood. When you apply melamine polish, it will look like a thin film-like coating on the surface as it consists of melamine resin. Melamine polish makes the wood glossy.
Pros:
Melamine Polish is quite durable and retains the gloss for years.
It also offers good scratch and heat resistance. Apt for your furniture, it protects them for long.
Polyurethane or PU Polish
While Polyurethane polish is available as both oil-based and water-based finishes. Both types of polishes are hard and durable and thus protect the wood from multiple types of degradation, ranging from corrosion, abrasion to weathering. They are also available in a wide range of finishes, including matte, satin and glossy. The only major difference between the two is that the water-based polish dries faster.
Pros:
Being a strong finish, PU polishing offers a tough coat, offering super protection to the wood. Hence, it is suitable for surfaces that undergo maximum wear and tear, for example, wooden flooring.
They also have high scratch, stain and heat resistance.
Lacquer finish
A protective coating that may also contain colour pigments, the lacquer finish is helpful in lending richness to the wood. They are usually sprayed directly onto the wooden surface.
Pros:
It dries fast and offers a hard protective coating to the surface, thus protecting it from water and also acids.
Super effective, lacquer finish can do its job with just a single coat.
Different sheens are available, making it perfect for your wooden furniture and flooring.
Lamination Polish
Also known as PolyResin Polish, lamination polish creates a glossy finish to the wooden surface. Since many chemicals are used in the polish, lamination polish is the most expensive of all polishes. It can lend either a natural finish or a coloured finish to the wood.
Pros: Due to multiple coats, the lamination polish lends a thick coating to the surface. The hardness of the resin makes the wood more durable.
Tips to remember for a neat wood polishing job
It is preferable to work outside, even on your balcony. If working inside your home, open the windows to allow ventilation.
Clean the surface first to remove dirt and dust.
Use quality tools for wood polishing. Invest in a good quality brush. Use a natural bristle brush if you are using oil-based finishes but a synthetic brush works best for water-based finishes.
Remove the excess wax build-up first. Wipe down the furniture or the wooden surface with a dry cloth. Test the polish on a small area and then continue the rest of the job.
Use a readymade wax remover to wipe down the surface, or you can make a solvent with half cup vinegar and half cup water.
Use polish sparingly, or else you will have to spend a lot of time removing the excess polish.
It will take 15-20 minutes for the surface to absorb polish. Later, wipe off the excess product using a dry cloth.
Metal Polishing
Worn out metals not only look scruffy but are also unsafe. With metal polishing, you can bring back the shine to your metal furniture. Polishing also gives a new life to old metal objects as it helps remove defects. Another advantage of metal polishing is that it removes oxidation, thus preventing corrosion and lending durability to the metal.
How does metal polishing work?
Metal polishing is done using different abrasives. For unfinished metals, the polishing process is done via several stages. The first step is removing imperfections using a rougher abrasive. The next is using finer abrasives to remove all marks and stains. Polishing and buffing are done together to lend a mirror-like finish to the metals. Buffing helps lend a brighter shine to the metals.
While tools such as screwdrivers, hammers, chisels, etc., require custom polishing, so do knives and cutlery.
The type of abrasives used depends on the strength of the metal. For example, silicon carbide abrasives are used for metals such as copper, aluminium, grey iron, and brass. For metal alloys, iron, and carbon steel, aluminium oxides are used for polishing.
Wood polishing and metal polishing can be a difficult task for those with little or zero experience in polishing. It is always best to take an expert’s help to ensure your belongings do not get damaged in the process. This guide will help you to make an informed decision.
Get in touch with our experts to turn your home into a dreamy abode.